Cop shoots senior dead at Dubai police station

Dubai - Dubai Police Chief denied media reports that suggested the dispute was over political or religious differences.

A Dubai policeman shot dead a veteran officer inside a police station in the wee hours of Monday. The 24-year-old Yemeni suspect murdered his compatriot, who had been with the Dubai Police for over 30 years, after a heated argument over a "personal dispute", a top police officer has said.
Confirming the incident, Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, said the murder was reported at 12.30am. He denied media reports that suggested the dispute was over political or religious differences.
The dispute between the men began in their barracks on Sunday. Sources told Khaleej Times that the suspect, a patrol officer, went to the Rafaa police station late "deliberately" to ensure that no one would be around. He went to the arms office, where the victim worked, took his service gun and shot the veteran officer three times in the head. The suspect did not move from the crime scene till he was arrested.
Maj-Gen Al Mazeina said the murder was a personal act and has "no connection to anything else". He said reports suggesting otherwise are baseless.
The suspect has been referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution on charges of murder, the police chief said.
According to reports on social media and at least one television channel, the suspect is from Al Baraiga area in Aden, while the deceased, who was in his 50s, hailed from Al Dali province.
The reports identified the suspect as Nasser Arif and the victim as Ali Al Maraisi. The reports said the two had personal and religious differences, with one being a Salafi and the other a reformist.
amira@khaleejtimes.com