‘Possible to shoot to injure rather than kill? Police trained to fire at centre of body’ — K Shanmugam on recent police shooting case

Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday (Mar 26) the Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers are trained to fire at the centre of the body to stop an imminent threat, serious injury, or death.

Possible to shoot to injure, not kill? Police trained to fire at centre of body: Shanmugam on recent police shooting case

His statement was in response to the incident on Mar 23 where a knife-wielding man was shot dead by officers at Bendemeer Road.

It was reported that the 62-year-old man was shot in the chest by the police after refusing to drop his weapon.

Officers first used their tasers, but he was not incapacitated and continued to come at the officers with the knife, said Mr Shanmugam in a Facebook post.

“One of the officers then fired a shot, hitting the man. The man has passed away,” he noted.

Mr Shanmugam added that the man was wanted by the Central Narcotics Bureau.

“He has a history of drug abuse, and suspected drug apparatus was found in his flat. He was also under investigations for several offences, including rash act and voluntarily causing hurt to a police.”

Although most people understand police actions in such cases, Mr Shanmugam said some have asked if it was possible to shoot to injure rather than kill.

He explained that officers are trained to fire at the centre of the body as this “offers a higher possibility of hitting and reduces the risk of injury to innocent bystanders.”

According to SPF, its officers conducted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the man, and he was conveyed unconscious to the hospital. He was later pronounced dead.

A police spokesperson said that investigations would consider whether the man was on drugs when the incident occurred.

SPF also said that there had been a recent spate of incidents involving people armed with dangerous weapons and posing a threat to public safety.

On Mar 14, a man who was said to be armed with a knife was shouting and looking for someone at Bukit Batok West Avenue 8.

As police officers were apprehending him, the man threw the knife toward one of the officers, hitting him on the right cheek. /TISG

Bukit Batok: Man throws knife at police officer, hitting officer’s face