SINGAPORE: A 28-year-old man has been arrested after a scuffle with the police along Esplanade Drive on Friday (Aug 21) that prompted officers to use a taser.
A video of the incident, widely circulated online, shows six police officers surrounding a man in the middle of the road. He falls to the ground after a taser was used, staggers to a stationary black car before running across the junction to the other side of the road and tearing off his shirt as police gave chase.
AdvertisementAdvertisementIn response to CNA's queries, the police said the man has been arrested for disorderly behaviour, voluntarily causing hurt to public servants and for the suspected consumption of controlled drugs.
He is also wanted for an outstanding warrant of arrest, they added.
The incident happened at around 10.30am.
The police said they came across a man standing on Esplanade Drive and "walking about aimlessly and in a dangerous manner".
AdvertisementAdvertisementOfficers tried to assist him but he was "uncooperative and incoherent", said the police.
"As officers attempted to engage him further, he started to gesticulate and speak loudly while continuing to walk in the middle of the road, around the junction of Fullerton Road and Esplanade Drive, which was dangerous as there were vehicles driving by," said the police.
"For his safety and the safety of other road users, officers attempted to pull him onto the pavement, but he continued to act violently and resisted the attempts to pull him to safety."
The police said the man continued to be aggressive and charged towards one of the officers, prompting the use of a taser to try and subdue him.
"However, one of the probes of the taser was later dislodged, limiting its effectiveness," said the police. "As the officers were moving closer to assess the health condition of the man, he got up from the ground and dashed across the road junction."
The man was eventually subdued when a second round of taser was deployed. According to the police, he assaulted and injured two police officers in the process.
"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," the police told CNA.
"As far as possible, officers do not want to use so much force as to hurt the target. However, this means that it may not be so easy to subdue him," they added.
"It is a difficult balance, but officers have chosen to err on the side of taking consideration of the target’s safety where they can.
Police said investigations are ongoing.
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