Telipok child hostage: Suspect shot dead, girl rescued

KOTA KINABALU - A two-year-old girl was rescued from the clutches of a man who held her hostage and was shot dead after a five-hour standoff on Sunday (Jan 13).

The girl, who was not identified, was rushed to the Likas Women and Children's Hospital.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said the girl suffered a cut to her neck, but believes she will be all right.

He said the unidentified suspect dropped the child to the ground, after he was shot dead by police in a four-storey flat at Telipok Ria apartments about 25km from here at 5.32pm.

Omar said that the man made no demands during the standoff, after they were informed of the 12.30pm incident.

The residents had called the police at 4pm, he said.

He said the man, who was holding a knife, had grabbed the child who was playing with toys at a corridor along the fourth floor of the flats.

He then entered an apartment, where an elderly man was performing his zohor prayers in a room.

The suspect told the man not to come out, and then sat down in the hall with the child.

Residents then broke open the main door of the house and the man continued to threaten the child, and is believed to have cut her neck.

When the police arrived at the scene, the man refused to talk, and he threatened to throw the child out of the kitchen window. Police decided to shoot the suspect at that point, he said.

He said they have yet to establish the suspect's background, and believe he was of unsound mind or on drugs.

The suspect was in his 30s.