Living Through the Longest Five Minutes

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

A chalk outline marks the spot where police shot dead one of the suspected terrorists during an attack on Riau Police headquarters on Wednesday (16/5/2018).

Things were a little bit unusual at the Riau Police headquarters, located on the intersection of Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Gajah Mada in downtown Pekanbaru, Riau, on Wednesday (16/5/2018). Security was tighter at the south entrance on Jl. Gajah Mada. Two armed police personnel with vests were guarding the gate. Visitors were told to state their purposes before entering the premises.

Usually, the gates are open to everyone. That morning, however, the southern gate was closed and heavily guarded.

In the corridor leading toward the front doors of the headquarters’ main building, a number of police personnel wearing black vests and bearing rifles were on alert.

At 9 a.m., Kompas entered the headquarters from its south gate without many questions asked. Journalists were already waiting for a press conference by Riau Police chief Insp. Gen. Nandang following a raid in which a significant amount of narcotics was seized.

A long table had been prepared in front of the headquarters’ front gate. On top of the table, dozens of kilograms of crystal meth and thousands of ecstasy pills were on display. A huge banner was put up behind the table, telling whoever passing by that a press conference by the police chief was about to be held.

Seven journalists were seen mingling around the table and in the corridor. As the press conference had yet to begin, Kompas chatted with TV journalists. Chief Brig. Al Muzammil from the Riau Police public relations division then approached the journalists and asked them to fill out a list of attendees.

Immediately after Kompas signed the list, a loud sound was heard from the main gate to the west, on Jl. Sudirman. Kompas thought that a bomb had exploded. However, that was soon unproven as there was no column of smoke. Oki, a journalist from Net TV, thought that there had been a car crash.

However, before journalists could get to the main gate, the loud cries of police personnel were heard in the corridor in front of the main gate leading to the front doors of the headquarters’ main building. A white car was speeding and hit a police officer. It was later revealed that the man who had been hit was Second. Insp. Auzar, a local traffic police.

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

Crime scene tape secures the location where police shot dead one of the suspected terrorists at the Riau Police headquarters on Wednesday (16/5/2018).

Sound of a crash

The loud sound that the journalists thought was a bomb explosion turned out to be the sound of an Avanza minibus bearing the license plate BM 1192 RO crashing into the main gates, which was halfway open. Riau Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Sunarto said that before the car crashed into the main gates, the guards had just opened it as a police vehicle had just gone through. It was at the moment that the Avanza hit the main gates at high speed.

After hitting Auzar, the car hit a police motorbike and stopped at a corner leading to the police headquarters’ main building. Two individuals wearing all black, face masks and gloves came out of the vehicle with swords. Both immediately attacked police officers in the vicinity.

Comr. Farid Abdullah, who stood closest to the attackers, was stabbed in the back of his head. It was at that moment that several police officers were heard shouting, “Terrorists attacking! Terrorists!”

Their cries were loud and clear. Armed police officers shot at the attackers to subdue them.

However, the incident did not stop there. The car continued to speed toward the headquarters’ main building. Dozens of people who had gathered in front of the main building’s front doors scattered to seek safety.

Several shots were then heard. Kompas initially hid behind a car but then tried to run toward the south gates and onto Jl. Gajah Mada. But the situation there was just as chaotic. The white Avanza had reached the south gate.

Police personnel from the Sabhara rapid response unit were shooting at one of the alleged terrorists. The sound of gunshots was so close that they seemed to have gone off by my ear. The man wearing all-black soon fell down. MNC TV cameraperson Rahmadi was seen lying on the asphalt. Later, it was revealed that Rahmadi and TV One cameraperson, Ryan Rahman, had been grazed by the Avanza as its occupants were trying to flee the police headquarters.

As the situation was particularly tense, turning back and walking toward the police headquarters’ front yard seemed like a good idea. However, one of the alleged terrorist was seen running in Kompas’ direction. Kompas was practically face-to-face with the person. Fortunately, the man ignored Kompas and continued to run.

Kompas saw a police officer behind a car aiming his rifle at the alleged terrorist. Not a moment later, the man fell down.

Chaos remained in the air. A police officer who passed Kompas said, “Do you have bullets? Do you have bullets? Give me bullets.” Kompas just remained silent.

Afterwards, no more gunshots were heard. Kompas saw two bodies lying on the asphalt, one of which was on the corner where the Avanza had stopped. Two more bodies were lying in front of the headquarters’ front door. In total, four bodies were sprawled across the scene.

Soon, Auzar was taken to the Bhayangkara Police Hospital, just 500 meters away from the police headquarters. However, he did not make it.

In just a short amount of time, terror could emerge in the most unexpected fashion. An experience of being face-to-face with an alleged terrorist is heart-shaking and traumatic. If there is one word that can appropriately portray the atmosphere during the fateful incident, that word is “fear”. The terror occurred in no more than five minutes. However, it was the longest five minutes in my life.