Thai police officer responded to school shooting in shorts as he was on sick leave, praised for being there

A Thai special operations police officer was seen showing up to a live school shooting incident in shorts on Aug. 7.

The shooting left 23 wounded and seven dead, comprising three teachers, three students and the shooter, reportedly a 14-year-old student.

The officer was identified as Sergeant Major Setthawut Sangmueang, Bangkok Post reported.

Sick leave

According to local police, Sangmueang was reportedly on sick leave and had a doctor’s appointment on the day of the incident when he heard of the shooting.

He cancelled the appointment, put his gear into his vehicle and rushed to the school to support law enforcement efforts.

“That reflects an uncompromising commitment to public safety and around-the-clock readiness to perform his duty. Although his outfit was not ready, his skills and spirit always are ready,” local police said.

Sangmueang was also a member of the Metropolitan Police Division 7 team, which was taking part in a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) competition in Bangkok.

The team left the competition and responded to the incident at the school.

Attire

In other countries, tactical police officers have been seen responding to emergencies and exercises in shorts, sometimes while off-duty.

Most notably, such attire has been seen being donned by European tactical police officers from units, such as the Netherlands ’ Special Intervention Service (DSI) and Germany’s Spezialeinsatzkommando (SEK) and GSG 9.

These appearances have also been referenced in popular culture, such as movies and tactical first-person shooters, including "Ready or Not", a game simulating SWAT operations.