SINGAPORE, July 17 — A 41-year-old man was tasered by police officers at a coffee shop yesterday after he charged at them and challenged them to a fight.
In a statement on Friday night, the police said they were alerted at about 1.49pm that a man who fell at a coffee shop at Block 802 French Road near Lavender Street was acting hostile towards paramedics and members of the public who were treating his injuries.
When the police arrived, he allegedly continued to behave aggressively towards the officers and the other patrons at the coffee shop, which is about a five-minute walk from Lavender MRT Station.
“Despite repeated reminders to the man to comply with the officers’ instructions, the man allegedly challenged the officers to a fight and charged towards the officers,” they added.
Videos of the confrontation on social media showed the man, who was shirtless and not wearing a face mask, taunting and trading blows with a police officer who was armed with a baton, as a crowd watched on.
As the man approached the officer with his arms outstretched, another officer fired a taser at him from behind.
He then froze, seemingly to assess whether he was hurt, when the first officer fired a taser round at him as well.
The man immediately fell and slumped against a stall counter.
olice officers later subdued and arrested him for alleged public nuisance, theft in dwelling and drug-related offences, on top of allegedly being involved in voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant.
Early findings revealed that the man was purportedly throwing chairs at other patrons and is believed to be involved in a theft case at a nearby pharmacy.
Investigations are underway.
The police said: “In our 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 general public and our officers, as well as the safety of the target on which force is to be applied.
“The police have zero tolerance towards acts of violence against public officers performing their duty and offenders will be dealt with firmly.”
Those guilty of voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from discharging his duty can be jailed up to seven years and fined or caned if convicted.
Causing a public nuisance carries a fine of up to S$2,000 (RM6,203.74) and theft in dwelling, a jail term of up to seven years and a fine. — TODAY
