The police received an alert shortly past 4 o’clock on Wednesday (Mar 23) afternoon, as a man, 64, already armed with the knife, was allegedly shouting along Bendemeer Road.
The man emerged from a unit and brandished his knife at the police officers when they arrived and began to speak with him. He was warned several times by the police to drop the knife. The police also tasered him three times before shooting him in the chest.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a statement posted on Facebook before midnight on Wednesday that,
“The man then advanced towards the officers, still armed with the knife. The police officers fired three taser shots at the man and retreated to create distance between the man and them. However, he continued to advance towards the officers.
As there was imminent threat to the safety of the officers, one of the officers fired a shot from his pistol at the man, and the man fell to the ground.
The man suffered a gunshot wound on his chest area.”
CPR was administered to the man immediately afterwards, and he was brought, unconscious, to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:13 pm.
The police added in its statement that the man was discovered to have earlier approached a student while holding the knife, but the student was able to get away.
“The man is a known drug offender and is wanted by the Central Narcotics Bureau. Drug apparatus was found in his unit.”
He was also under investigation for alleged offences of rash act and voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty, and had reportedly thrown items from his window.
The police added that when they had tried to talk to him, he used a chair to injure a police officer.
Investigations into the incident are now ongoing.
The SPF noted in its post other similar recent incidents of individuals “endangering the safety of the public, whilst armed with dangerous weapons.”
“The Police may have to use necessary force to subdue such persons if there is an imminent threat of harm to the public, or to our officers in the discharge of their duties,” SPF added.
The post quoted Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police (DAC) Jeremy Ang, the Commander of Central Police Division, as saying, “Police officers have a duty to ensure public safety. We face dangerous situations in the course of our work and will take decisive action, where necessary, including using necessary force, to subdue persons who pose a danger to the public or to our officers.”
SPF’s statement on the March 23 incident may be found here. /TISG
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