Other cases in which police opened fire

June 13, 2009: A 48-year-old driver, who did not hold a licence and had a string of traffic offences, tried to run over a police officer in his attempt to evade a road block at the junction of Kreta Ayer Road and Neil Road. An officer fired one shot at the front wheel of the car. No one was injured. The driver was jailed and banned from driving.

March 6, 2008: A man who had earlier stabbed an odd-job worker to death in a hawker centre was cornered by two police officers on a platform at Outram MRT station. The 43-year-old drew a 15cm-long knife and lunged at the officers, one of whom fired a single round at him, hitting him in the chest. The man died on the spot.

Oct 5, 2002: A knife-wielding motorcycle thief was shot by the police when he charged at four officers with a 20cm knife in the car park at Mount Alvernia Hospital. The 42-year-old Singaporean survived with a wounded right shoulder and was convicted of criminal intimidation in 2003.

Jan 16, 2002: A Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officer opened fire at a drug suspect who had tried to break through a police cordon surrounding his flat on Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. The 40-year-old was trying to ignite a piece of cloth in flammable liquid when the officer shot him in the abdomen. The man, who survived, was also found to be armed with two knives, a hammer and a spanner.

May 15, 2000: A man with a long history of mental illness was shot dead on Seletar Club Road after he threatened the police with a 61cm iron rod. It took four shots to keep the 37-year-old down. He died at the scene with gunshot wounds on his hands, abdomen and chest.

April 2, 1999: A fugitive criminal who charged at a police sergeant with a knife was shot dead in a crowded People’s Park Food Centre. Wanted for a number of drug-related and robbery convictions, as well as for attacking CNB officers, he was shot after a 30-minute chase by two police officers and pronounced dead at the Singapore General Hospital.

KELLY NG