Retired Police Officer Fatally Shoots Drug-Addicted Son to Save Family

NAKHON SAWAN – In a heartbreaking and extreme turn of events, a 64-year-old retired police officer fatally shot his 38-year-old son seven times to protect his family during a violent, drug-fueled rage. The tragic incident took place on April 2, 2026, at a two-story wooden home in Phaisali District, Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand.

The father, Pol. Capt. Boonpeng resorted to using his former police service weapon after his son, Nattapon, armed himself with a knife. The son attempted to attack his mother and seize a gun after she denied him money to buy illegal drugs.

Drug addiction often tears families apart, leaving deep scars and sometimes leading to unimaginable violence. This case highlights the devastating reality of the ongoing drug crisis. According to official police reports, Nattapon did not live in the same house as his elderly parents. However, he frequently visited them for one specific reason: to demand money to support his drug habit.

On the fateful day of the incident, Nattapon approached his mother for cash. When she firmly refused his demands, he quickly flew into a severe, uncontrollable rage. Witnesses and family members stated that the son became highly aggressive in a matter of seconds. He pulled out a short knife and directly threatened his mother, as well as other vulnerable family members present inside the home.

The situation worsened drastically when Nattapon tried to grab his father’s firearm to escalate the attack. Facing a split-second, life-or-death moment, Boonpeng made an unthinkable decision. He grabbed his legally owned 9mm pistol first and fired at his son in an act of desperation. The bullets struck Nattapon in the arm and torso, ending the immediate threat but also ending his son’s life.

Retired Police Officer Fatally Shoots Drug-Addicted Son

The Aftermath and Police Arrival

Immediately following the shooting, the retired police officer did not try to hide or flee the scene. Instead, he took full responsibility for his actions. He picked up the phone, called the local police to report his own actions, and waited peacefully for authorities to arrive.

Pol. Maj. Apirak Kongthai, an investigator at the Phaisali Police Station, quickly arrived at the scene. He was accompanied by forensic experts, a medical examiner from Phaisali Hospital, and local rescue workers. For more details on the original local report, you can read the source article on MGR Online.

When investigators entered the back storage room of the wooden house, they found a grim scene. Nattapon lay dead on the floor, wearing a black t-shirt and long denim jeans. He had suffered seven gunshot wounds. Tellingly, his right hand still tightly gripped the short knife he used to threaten his family. Police also recovered eight 9mm bullet casings scattered across the floor, securing them as primary evidence.

Boonpeng willingly surrendered his weapon to the forensic team. He calmly, yet sorrowfully, explained the grim reality of the situation to his former colleagues. “This is the gun that ended my son’s life,” he told the officers. He further explained his motive, stating clearly, “If I didn’t do it, he would have killed me because he was trying to grab the gun.”

Retired Police Officer Fatally Shoots Drug-Addicted Son

What the Neighbors Saw and Heard

The quiet, close-knit neighborhood of Ban Takrut Phiban was deeply shaken by the sudden eruption of violence. Residents provided crucial insights into the family dynamics:

A local noodle vendor working right next door heard a fierce, loud argument erupt from the home while preparing food for customers.
Moments later, the vendor heard a rapid, terrifying series of gunshots.
Following the gunfire, Boonpeng’s elderly father-in-law ran out of the house in tears, shouting in a panic that his grandson had been shot dead.
Neighbors noted that Boonpeng had just retired two years prior. He was known throughout the local community as a very calm, patient, and mild-mannered man.

The community largely sympathized with the grieving father. They were well aware of the son’s long history of drug abuse and his multiple previous arrests. Neighbors strongly believed that Boonpeng was finally pushed to his absolute breaking point after enduring years of his son’s destructive and dangerous behavior.

Currently, police are processing the case carefully according to standard legal procedures. Officers escorted Boonpeng to the Phaisali Police Station for a thorough interrogation regarding the exact sequence of events.

Because a life was lost, authorities have initially charged the retired officer with murder, as required by the law. However, the police will heavily factor in the context of self-defense. Since the weapon used was a legally registered firearm, and the incident occurred inside his own property while fending off an armed attacker, illegal weapons charges are not currently being applied.

This deeply saddening case serves as a harsh, real-world warning about the extreme impacts of drug addiction on local communities and households. A father was forced into an unthinkable choice to keep his wife and household safe from his own child.

As the investigation moves forward, the tragic reality remains clear: a family has been forever broken by the relentless grip of drug abuse.