5 people helped police arrest chopper-wielding man on Commonwealth Avenue; no sign it was an act of terror
Items seized by the police belonging to a 20-year-old man holding a chopper in the Margaret Drive vicinity on Feb 3, 2024.
SINGAPORE — Five members of the public helped police subdue a man after he went around wielding a chopper and attacking people at Commonwealth Avenue, including at an HDB lift lobby, Margaret Drive Hawker Centre and a park connector.
The suspect, a 20-year-old man, will be charged in court on Monday for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons, said police on Sunday (Feb 4).
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man acted alone in the incident on Saturday evening. There were no indications to suggest that it was an act of terror, said police.
The man was not known to the seven people he attacked. He allegedly attacked them with a knife, a chopper and his bare hands.
Two men, aged 76 and 40, as well as a six-year-old girl sustained minor injuries and were taken conscious to the hospital. They received outpatient treatment.
Another three men, aged 54, 21 and 20, as well as a 45-year-old woman sustained minor injuries and declined further medical assistance.
A court order will be sought for the suspect to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric assessment.
The offence carries a prison term of up to seven years, a fine, caning or any combination of these punishments.
It is also an offence to carry an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful purpose. This offence carries an imprisonment term of up to three years and at least six strokes of the cane.
Police said they received a call for assistance at 7.05pm on Saturday about the man holding a chopper running towards 301 Commonwealth Avenue.
They arrived at the location within eight minutes of the call, and arrested the man about 400m away at 1 Dundee Road — the address for Queens Peak condominium — with the help of the five members of public, who detained the man at about 7.18pm.
The man allegedly attacked the first victim near Margaret Drive Hawker Centre, and the second and third victims at the ground floor lift lobby of a nearby HDB block.
The man then allegedly attacked the fourth victim in the vicinity of Margaret Drive Hawker Centre, and the fifth to seventh victims along the Alexandra Canal park connector.
The police presented the Public Spiritedness Award to the five members of the public who helped in the arrest.
Three of them were present at the ceremony — Mr Mok Kwong Heng, Mr Gangatharan Saravanan and Mr Emmanuel Ee Wei Chuan.
Mr Ee, 21, is one of the victims who gave chase after he was attacked.
“The police would like to commend the five members of the public who detained the offender before the police arrival,” said AC Serene Chiu, commander of the Singapore Police Force’s Clementi Division. CNA
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