Officers patrolling near the Hard Rock Hotel on Second Road Oct. 2 stepped in to break up an assault on 22-year-old Akkachai Aeimsri. About a half-dozen youths were hitting Akkachai with motorcycle helmets and knives.
The angry mob then turned on police, hurling mobile phones at them and chasing them with knives outstretched. After scaring off police, the youths fled into a residential building off Second Road. Police did not pursue.
One of the assailants dropped this knife during the fight.
Asked about the motives of the assault on him, Akkachai gave investigators an implausible story that he’d simply been riding his motorbike near the Alcazar Theatre when the youths had flagged him down and, for no reason, started hitting him with helmets.
Akkachai told police he’d escaped, then saw them heading down Second Road toward the Lao Pan Restaurant and drove back to them to inquire why they’d attacked him. When he did, they restarted the fight, the victim claimed.
Police said they planned to seek a warrant to bring the owner of the residence the youths escaped to in for questioning.
