Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers help ensure the safety and security of Singapore. However, they too, face threats from time to time and may have to respond with appropriate force.
On Thursday (17 Feb), footage of a man wielding a knife outside Clementi Police Division made its rounds online.
When police officers confronted him, the man allegedly charged at one of the officers, forcing him to fire a shot.
The man sustained a gunshot wound to one of his arms and was subsequently taken to hospital. He faces charges for criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.
A 25-second video, which has since gone viral on social media, starts by showing a man walking towards 3 SPF officers.
Though the footage isn’t very clear, the man appears to be holding a shiny, metallic object that resembles a knife.
Instead of keeping to a straight path, the man suddenly veers towards his left and hobbles towards one of the officers, who proceeds to draw a weapon from his right leg.
As the man launches himself into the air in an attempt to strike, a loud ‘bang’ can be heard.
The man immediately falls to the ground as officers subdue him and call for reinforcement from the Police Division.
In the wee hours of Friday (18 Feb), SPF released a statement confirming the incident and providing more details about the case.
SPF shared that at about 8.40pm on Thursday (17 Feb), they were alerted to a case at Block 420A Clementi Avenue 1, involving a 41-year-old man who was allegedly assaulted by a 49-year-old man with a knife.
The victim sustained injuries on his right arm and wrist and was conveyed to the hospital.
SPF’s preliminary investigations found that the pair were strangers.
After the assault, the 49-year-old attacker got in a cab to Clementi Police Division.
There, he reportedly held a knife and shouted incoherently as officers approached him.
Though they warned him repeatedly to drop the weapon, the man did not comply and even charged at one of the cops.
Facing an imminent threat, the officer fired a shot at the man using his service revolver.
SPF shared that the man sustained a gunshot wound to his left arm. Paramedics subsequently conveyed him to a hospital where he’s currently in a stable condition.
The 49-year-old will be charged today (18 Feb) for 2 offences:
For criminal intimidation, the man faces up to 2 years’ jail, a fine, or both.
If found guilty of the latter offence, he faces a jail term of up to 7 years and may be fined or caned.
The Clementi Police Division’s Commander commended the officers for their bravery, devotion, and for swiftly bringing the situation under control.
He also shared that the officer only opened fire as he sensed that his life was in imminent danger.
While police officers’ job revolves around keeping Singapore safe, they themselves face threats from time to time too.
Even though nobody wishes for such an incident to happen, we’re glad the officers manage to take control of the situation while keeping themselves safe.
Kudos to all SPF officers for risking their lives on a daily basis to keep our nation safe and free from crime.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Laughs on Facebook.
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