SINGAPORE — Rather than swoop in on the rioters, the initial priorities for first responders to the Little India riot on Dec 8, last year were to extricate the man pinned under the bus, and rescue the bus driver and timekeeper who were trapped inside the bus.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jonathan Tang, the police’s initial ground commander at the scene, said this as he testified before the Committee of Inquiry (COI) today (Feb 25).

The police could not make arrests due to manpower constraints, he said. There was a crowd of about 400 people gathered around the private bus which was involved in the fatal road accident that sparked the Little India riot on Dec 8 last year, with about 150 of them “pelting the bus with projectiles”. In contrast, ASP Tang said he had only six men – two police officers and four auxiliary officers - on the ground at the time.

ASP Tang said he did consider firing a shot, but decided against the move as it might “agitate the crowd”.

The inquiry today had earlier heard from CERTIS CISCO officer Srisivasangkar A/L Subramaniam, who testified that he had arrested four Indian foreign workers for throwing bottles by “grabbing them from behind”, “one at a time”, and handling each person over to the police officers. ASP Tang continues to testify later today.