Singapore – Police have arrested three men who got into a fight and urged people not to speculate or spread rumours based on videos circulating online.
The police posted an official statement on Facebook on Saturday (Feb 6) on the incident at Clarke Quay.
Two 18-year-old men and a 22-year-old man have been arrested for affray and public nuisance, said the police. A 16-year-old male teenager was also arrested for using abusive language against public servants.
Police said they were alerted to a fight at 30 Merchant Road at around 9:40 pm on Friday (Feb 5).
Three men allegedly fought among themselves, causing a public nuisance, said the police. One of the 18-year-old men allegedly head-butted the 22-year-old during the scuffle.
The 18-year-old was bleeding from his forehead when police arrived on the scene. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old man suffered a broken tooth during the fight.
The 18-year-old was taken to hospital while the 22-year-old and the other 18-year-old were given medical assistance by the police officers and paramedics. Police said about the hospitalised youth: “His preliminary medical report confirmed one laceration on the forehead. No other serious injuries were reported.”
The 16-year-old was arrested after he intervened and tried to stop the officers from arresting the 18-year-old. The 16-year-old also hurled vulgarities at the officers, said the police Facebook post.
Police investigations are ongoing.
The police said the videos of the incident circulating online “did not present the full account and sequence of events”. “There are allegations that the officers had used excessive force on the 18-year-old man in the white shirt resulting in him bleeding from the head. These allegations are untrue,” they added.
The police said the facial injuries were present before the officers arrived. “The officers had assessed the situation and applied necessary force on the man, including the use of a baton in the course of arrest as he had put up a violent struggle to resist arrest.”
“Contrary to the allegations, the officers did not hit the face of the man with the baton. The man was handcuffed after he was subdued.”
The police advised members of the public not to “speculate or spread unsubstantiated information”.
Under Section 267A of the Penal Code, the offence of affray carries a jail term of up to one year, a fine of up to $5,000, or both, said the police.
The offence of public nuisance under Section 268 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.
For the offence of using abusive language against a public servant under Section 6(3) of the Protection from Harassment Act, the punishment is a jail term of up to 12 months, a fine of up to $5,000, or both./TISG
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