A police officer was injured after being stabbed by a mentally ill man during an incident in Phatthalung province, Thailand, while officers were attempting to help the suspect receive medical treatment.
Police from Mueang Phatthalung Police Station responded on April 28, 2026, after receiving a report that a 37-year-old psychiatric patient was behaving erratically inside a home in Chai Buri Subdistrict, Mueang District. The man’s mother had requested assistance to bring her son to Phatthalung Hospital for treatment.
At the scene, the man reportedly barricaded himself inside his bedroom and initially refused to come out. His mother then asked officers to force open the door to assist in taking him for medical care.
However, as officers attempted the rescue operation, the situation escalated when the man suddenly opened the door, rushed out and stabbed a police sergeant once in the abdomen area beneath his bulletproof vest. The injured officer was identified as Police Sergeant Somporn Ketdaeng, a patrol officer from Mueang Phatthalung Police Station.
He was immediately rushed to Phatthalung Hospital, where his condition was reported to be stable. Authorities later managed to detain the suspect without further incident.
In an emotional account, the suspect’s mother said her son had long struggled with mental illness and had experienced repeated episodes of violent behaviour, requiring intervention from authorities in the past. She explained that the family had tried to seek treatment multiple times, but financial difficulties made continuous rehabilitation difficult.
She added that on the night of the incident, her son had been talking to himself in his room, prompting her to call for help in hopes of getting him admitted for treatment. However, she believes the situation escalated when he became frightened during the intervention, leading to the attack.
The station chief, Police Colonel Somprat Kannakanon, confirmed that the suspect is a psychiatric patient and said legal procedures are underway, while relevant agencies are being engaged to ensure he receives appropriate medical care and supervision.
