Phuket Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Mother While Handling Service Pistol

A police officer in Phuket accidentally shot his mother in the head while handling his service pistol at their home on September 24. The woman was taken to hospital but later died from her injuries.

The shooting was reported at around 9:20pm at a house in Koh Kaew, Mueang Phuket district. Officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station coordinated an emergency response, with rescue workers and medical personnel sent to the scene.

Responders found the woman unconscious with a single gunshot wound to the centre of her head. She had no pulse, and emergency personnel performed CPR before taking her to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

The officer, identified as Police Corporal Chonthee, told investigators that he had been handling his government-issued Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol when it discharged.

Chonthee, who serves with a crowd-control unit under the investigation division of Provincial Police Region 8, said he pulled back the pistol’s slide without first checking the chamber. A 9mm round was still loaded, and the weapon discharged, striking his mother in the head.

The woman later died at the hospital from her injuries.

Following the incident, Phuket forensic officers examined the scene and inspected the pistol. Investigators also checked the officer for gunshot residue as part of the examination.

Police took Chonthee and the Glock 19 to Mueang Phuket Police Station for further questioning. Investigators are collecting evidence and reviewing the circumstances of the shooting before deciding whether further legal action is required.