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2 taser shots fired as 28-year-old man arrested for disorderly behaviour, causing hurt to police officers

SINGAPORE — The police on Friday (Aug 21) fired two taser shots at a man who was walking in the middle of a busy road. He then turned aggressive and charged at a police officer.

A man was arrested for disorderly behaviour, voluntarily causing hurt to public servants and alleged consumption of controlled drugs. He is also wanted for an outstanding warrant of arrest.

A man was arrested for disorderly behaviour, voluntarily causing hurt to public servants and alleged consumption of controlled drugs. He is also wanted for an outstanding warrant of arrest.

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SINGAPORE — The police on Friday (Aug 21) fired two taser shots at a man who was walking in the middle of a busy road. He then turned aggressive and charged at a police officer. 

A video of the incident was widely shared online on Friday afternoon, showing a man appearing to evade arrest along the junction of Fullerton Road and Esplanade Drive.  

The police said in a statement that the 28-year-old man was “standing on Esplanade Drive and walking about aimlessly and in a dangerous manner” at 10.30am on Friday. 

Police officers approached him to “check on his well-being and attempted to guide him onto the pavement to assist him”. However, the man was uncooperative and incoherent, they added.

“As officers attempted to engage him further, he started to gesticulate and speak loudly while continuing to walk in the middle of the road, around the junction of Fullerton Road and Esplanade Drive, which was dangerous as there were vehicles driving by.” 

For the man’s safety, officers tried to pull him onto the pavement but he continued to act violently and resisted the attempts to pull him to safety. 

“Despite repeated reminders to the man to comply with police’s instructions, the man continued to be aggressive and charged towards one of our officers,” the police said.

One of the police officers used a taser with the aim of subduing the man, but one of the probes of the taser was later dislodged, limiting its effectiveness.

As the officers were moving closer to assess the health condition of the man, he got up from the ground and dashed across the road junction.

The officers caught up with the man and he was eventually subdued when a second round of taser was deployed.

In the process, the man assaulted and injured two police officers.

Videos circulating online showed the man surrounded by at least six police officers. He was initially brought down by the first taser shot, but he quickly got up before the officers could subdue him and dashed across the traffic junction. In the process, he appeared to punch one police officer across the face. 

The man then took off his shirt, before disappearing behind some vehicles.

The police added that the man was arrested for disorderly behaviour, voluntarily causing hurt to public servants and alleged consumption of controlled drugs. He is also wanted for an outstanding warrant of arrest.

Investigations are ongoing. 

“In considering the use of force, the police take into consideration the proportionality of the force to be applied vis-a-vis the perceived threat, the safety of the target on which force is to be applied, and that of the general public and our officers,” they said. 

As far as possible, police officers do not want to “use so much force as to hurt the target”, but this would mean that it may “not be so easy to subdue him”, they added.

Related topics

police disorderly behaviour taser crime arrest

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