SINGAPORE — The police have arrested a knife-wielding man after he charged at officers outside Clementi Police Division. A police officer had to fire a gunshot before others detained the suspect. 

In a statement to TODAY past midnight on Friday (Feb 18), the police said that the man was attended to by paramedics before being taken conscious to the hospital.

In a fuller statement issued to the media later, they said that the 49-year-old man had a gunshot wound on his left arm and is in a stable condition in hospital.

He will be charged on Friday for the offences of criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.

At about 8.40pm on Thursday, the police were alerted to a case where a 41-year-old man was purportedly assaulted by the 49-year-old man with a knife along Block 420A Clementi Avenue 1.

The 41-year-old man suffered injuries on his right arm and wrist, and was taken conscious to the hospital.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim and assailant did not know each other.

The 49-year-old man then boarded a taxi to Clementi Police Division and was seen holding a knife and standing outside the police station.

Police officers on duty approached the man and he was observed to be shouting incoherently.

Despite the officers’ repeated instructions to drop the knife, the man refused to comply with the verbal warning and charged towards one of the officers while armed with a knife, the police said.

"As there was imminent threat to the officer, he then fired one shot at the man with his service revolver. The man was then detained by the officers."

A video posted on a Facebook page on Thursday shows the commotion outside the police station. A man in a light-coloured T-shirt and shorts can be seen surrounded by at least three police officers.

The man is seen carrying what appears to be a shiny object in his right hand. He then raises it and charges towards one of the officers.

What sounds like a gunshot is heard in the video as the man falls.  

Several other unidentifiable people rush towards the man to pin him down as other officers watch.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Marc E, the Commander of Clementi Police Division, expressed his appreciation to the officers for their "bravery and devotion to their duty".

“The officer assessed that his life was in imminent danger from the knife-wielding man and therefore opened fire. The officers ensured that the threatening situation was brought under control quickly with no danger to the public.

"Police officers risk their safety on a daily basis and this incident showed that officers have to react to the evolving situation quickly to prevent further harm to the public, while using the appropriate level of force.”

The police also said that they will not tolerate criminal acts that display a blatant disregard of the law.

The offence of criminal intimidation carries a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both.  If convicted of voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, the suspect may be jailed up to seven years, fined or caned.