Man arrested after slashing incident near coffee shop in Jalan Bukit Merah

SINGAPORE — A 50-year-old man was arrested by the police on Wednesday (June 29) after he allegedly slashed the head of another man with a knife near a coffee shop along Jalan Bukit Merah.

In response to TODAY’s queries, the police said that they were alerted to a case of assault at Block 111 Jalan Bukit Merah at about 11.15am.

“A 50-year-old man had purportedly slashed the head of a 75-year-old man with a knife,” the police added.

The older man was taken conscious to the hospital. The two men are believed to be known to each other, the police said.

“The 50-year-old man was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon. Police investigations are ongoing.”

Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported that the 75-year-old victim was discharged from hospital on Wednesday afternoon and returned to the scene after that.

The man reportedly said that he was watching people play chess at the coffee shop when the alleged attacker rushed towards him with a knife.

The man added that he required seven stitches as a result of the alleged attack.

In a video posted on the Tiagongsg Facebook page, a man in a dark-coloured T-shirt is seen charging at another man with what appears to be a knife near a walkway at a coffee shop, as several members of the public threw plastic chairs at him.

A woman and two onlookers are seen attending to a man in a light-coloured T-shirt who appears to be bleeding from his head.

In a distance, at least seven men appear to be holding the alleged attacker on the ground using plastic chairs to pin him down. More onlookers can be seen in the video carrying plastic chairs to assist in the situation.

In a later part of the video, at least four police officers in tactical gear are seen attending to the alleged attacker on the ground as they arrest him.