SINGAPORE – A man believed to be holding a gun was shot in the arm by a police officer in Pasir Ris Park on Nov 8.
According to Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, the incident happened around 6 a.m. near a bird watching tower in the park.
It added that the man appeared emotionally agitated and appeared to want to attack others in the park.
After he was shot, he was taken to the hospital.
When The Straits Times arrived at the park around 12.40pm, both paths leading to the tower had been cordoned off. There were at least three police officers, four police cars and one police van at the scene.
Nick Wheeler, 52, said he saw two police officers searching for something on the ground and in the bushes near the tower while he was walking around there about 12:45 p.m.
The accountant, who lives nearby, usually uses the path to the tower during his regular walks, but today he had to take a detour because of the police cordon.
Mr Brian Chong, who cycles through Pasir Ris Park every week, said he was shocked when he heard what had happened.
The 30-year-old who works in information technology said: “Such incidents are rare in Singapore, so it is quite frightening. But if the man wanted to harm the population, it is good that the police intervened.”
In March 2022, police shot a 64-year-old man who was under the influence of drugs Block 33 Bendemeerweg. Ng Eng Kui had brandished a kitchen knife in the doorway of his home despite confronting four police officers.
After three attempts to incapacitate him with Taser shots failed, Ng stepped outside to face officers in a narrow hallway.
An officer, judging that he and his three colleagues were in immediate danger, fired a single bullet from his pistol, striking Ng in the chest and killing him.
On November 4, District Judge Kamala Ponnampalam ruled in a coroner’s inquest into Ng’s death that the officer did not discharge his firearm improperly, adding that Ng’s death was an unfortunate accident.