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Police refute claims of officers manhandling woman at AMK Hub as ‘categorically untrue’

SINGAPORE — The police have denied allegations that they manhandled a woman at AMK Hub shopping centre on Wednesday (Dec 22) morning. They said that they had “supported the woman to the ground” after she resisted arrest for refusing to comply with their repeated advice to wear a mask. 

A video posted on Instagram account robinhoot.sg showed four policemen surrounding a woman at Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange, which is located within AMK Hub.

A video posted on Instagram account robinhoot.sg showed four policemen surrounding a woman at Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange, which is located within AMK Hub.

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  • The police said it is "categorically untrue" that they had manhandled a woman at AMK Hub mall on Wednesday
  • They were responding to a post on Instagram account robinhoot.sg which alleged that officers had manhandled her to the ground
  • The police said that the 55-year-old woman had refused to comply with repeated advice to put on a mask
  • The officers had "supported the woman to the ground" as she was resisting arrest and appeared to want to sit down

SINGAPORE — The police have denied allegations that they manhandled a woman at AMK Hub shopping centre on Wednesday (Dec 22) morning. They said that they had “supported the woman to the ground” after she resisted arrest for refusing to comply with their repeated advice to wear a mask. 

In a press release on Thursday, the police said that they are aware of a post circulating online alleging that their officers had manhandled a 55-year-old woman.

They did not name the post or describe what it said.

A video posted on Wednesday on Instagram account robinhoot.sg showed four policemen surrounding a woman at Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange, which is located within AMK Hub.

In the video, the senior can be seen sitting on the ground as some officers hold her, wailing for people to help her. 

One officer can be heard telling her to calm down and saying that they were there to help her.

The post on robinhoot.sg claimed that the woman did not have a mask on because her original one was torn.

She purportedly asked for help "as she was flustered and confused when the police surrounded and kept badgering her", the social media post said. 

It claimed that when the woman tried to leave so that she could go home and get a new mask, several officers “manhandled her to the ground as she started to cry and shout for passers-by to help her”.

The post then questioned why the police decided to manhandle the woman instead of simply standing in front of her to block her exit.

In its statement on Thursday, the police said: “These allegations are categorically untrue.”

They added that they were responding to an incident at 9.19am on Wednesday, where a woman repeatedly refused to put on a mask in a public place.

When they arrived, they were informed that the woman had allegedly refused to wear a mask when she was in a supermarket despite repeated reminders by the staff members there.

She also purportedly shouted in the supermarket.

Police officers then spotted her at the bus interchange and advised her to put on a mask.

“Despite the officers’ continued and repeated advice for her to wear a mask, the woman refused to comply and spoke to officers in a hostile manner. Officers offered the woman a mask as well, but she refused to accept it,” the police said. 

She then started shouting loudly and tried to walk away.

The police said that they arrested her after engaging her for more than 15 minutes because her conduct “posed a risk to herself and to public health”.

"During the arrest, the officers supported the woman to the ground as she was resisting arrest and appeared to want to sit down," they added.

She was later referred to the Institute of Mental Health for assessment.

The police urged the public to continue abiding by prevailing Covid-19 regulations, adding that wearing a mask is important to mitigate the spread of infection to others especially in light of the rapid global spread of the Omicron coronavirus strain.

They also urged the public to be responsible when posting and sharing information online and to not spread unverified information on any incidents.

“The police take a serious view of such malicious and false allegations, and the authorities are looking into the circulation of the falsehood,” they added.

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police Ang Mo Kio social media AMK Hub mask

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