20-year-old man with chopper arrested in Commonwealth Avenue; 7 injured

A 20-year-old man was arrested in Commonwealth Avenue on the evening of Feb 3, after the police were alerted to a man holding a chopper there.

Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were injured, with a knife and chopper seized by the police.

The police said they received a call about a man holding a chopper at 301 Commonwealth Avenue at about 7.05pm.

Police officers found the man detained by members of the public when they arrived at the scene.

Two men, aged 76 and 40, and a six-year-old girl sustained minor injuries. They were conscious when taken to the National University Hospital.

Another three men, aged 54, 21 and 20, and a 45-year-old woman sustained minor injuries, but declined further medical assistance.

Chinese-language news outlet Lianhe Zaobao reported that there were police officers at the Queens Peak condominium near Queenstown MRT station.

Zaobao also reported that a group of eight people were seen, in visuals provided by a reader, on the ground floor of the condominium, throwing things in a particular direction.

According to the condo’s residents, there was a pursuit along Margaret Drive, with Zaobao’s reporter finding blood stains and police officers at a block there, which is about 1km from the condo.

Police investigations are ongoing.

In January 2024, a 20-year-old man was arrested for possessing an offensive weapon in a Sengkang Housing Board block.

In a separate case in October 2023, 49-year-old Joel Ezekiel, who posted a video of himself wielding a samurai sword in public, was charged in court with possession of the weapon.

Officers who raided his home found more weapons, including a butterfly knife, a knuckle duster and a flick knife.

Also in October 2023, Muhammed Firdaus Amir Musa, 38, was arrested for allegedly attacking two Traffic Police officers with a stun device.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.