Man who fled after being tasered along Esplanade Drive arrested
SINGAPORE — A 28-year-old man who was caught on video being tasered by the police along Esplanade Drive on Friday (21 August) has been arrested.
Police said in a media release that officers found the man “walking about aimlessly and in a dangerous manner” at around 10.30am. When the officers approached him to offer their assistance, he was uncooperative and incoherent.
As the officers persisted in trying to engage with the man, he began to gesticulate and speak loudly while continuing to walk in the middle of the road. This was dangerous as there were vehicles driving by at the time, said the police.
While the officers tried to pull the man to the pavement for his own safety, he continued to behave violently and resist the officers. This continued despite repeated reminders given to the man to comply with the officer’s instructions.
“One of the police officers used a taser with the aim of subduing the man. However, one of the probes of the taser was later dislodged, limiting its effectiveness,” said the police.
As the officers moved in to assess the man’s condition, he got up and fled across the road junction. Officers eventually caught up with the man and subdued him after a second taser was used.
Two officers were assaulted and injured in the process. The man was arrested for disorderly behaviour, voluntarily causing hurt to public servants and alleged consumption of controlled drugs. He also had an outstanding warrant of arrest against him.
Investigations into the matter 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. As far as possible, officers do not want to use so much force as to hurt the target,” said the police, adding that it “may not be so easy” to subdue such targets.
In such situations, officers usually err on the side of caution when it comes to a target’s safety, the police said. “There have been experiences and implications in other jurisdictions, in choosing one or the other approach.”
Caught on video
In a two-minute video posted online, a man in a white shirt is seen confronting at least six uniformed police officers along a stretch of Esplanade Drive in the direction of Fullerton Road. At some point the officers attempt to apprehend the man, who puts up a struggle until he finally breaks free.
One of the officers then withdraws his taser and fires at the man, who drops to the ground. The man is then seen standing up and fending off the officers as he tries to run away. The video ends with the man stripping off his shirt and running towards the Fullerton Hotel while being chased by the officers.
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