Man shot in stomach during struggle with police officers in Balestier Road condo raid

SINGAPORE - A man was shot in the abdomen during a struggle with police officers in Balestier on Thursday morning (Nov 5), after he assaulted an officer and tried to grab the revolver of a second officer.

The 36-year-old man, who was taken to hospital after the shooting incident, is currently in a stable condition, the police said.

He is under arrest for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from carrying out his duty, as well as for cheating offences and suspected drug-related offences. He has also been traced to incidents of unlawful assembly and custom-related illegal activities.

The altercation happened in an apartment at City Suites condominium at 235 Balestier Road at about 1am during a police raid to arrest four people allegedly involved in a series of cheating cases. 

When the police entered the unit, the man lunged at an officer and attacked him repeatedly, causing him to bleed in the face and fall to the floor.

When the suspect refused to heed a warning from a second officer to stop attacking the injured cop, the second officer drew his revolver after assessing that a second man, who was seen approaching the first officer, could join in the assault of his partner who was on the floor. 

A violent struggle then ensued when the 36-year-old man turned to the second officer and tried to snatch his revolver. A shot was fired, but the man continued to struggle with the officer, the police said.

Backup officers eventually managed to subdue the two hostile men.

Both officers were hurt - the first with injuries to his face and arm, while the second was wounded on his hands and lips.

The police said the second man, 22, is also being investigated for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from carrying out his duty.

As a matter of protocol, the Special Investigation Section is investigating the officer’s discharge of the firearm.

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Police seized $20,000 of suspected criminal proceeds, drugs and drug-related paraphernalia. The Central Narcotics Bureau has also been roped in to investigate the alleged drug offences.

Besides the four occupants in the flat, three others - two aged 18 and one 32 - are also involved in the cheating cases.

They were arrested between Tuesday and Thursday in separate raids. Police said they had used victims' particulars, including credit card details, to apply for and buy handsets and phone lines from a telco.

They then sold the handsets for cash.

When the telco tried to claim the money from the banks, the transactions were rejected, costing the telco $42,000.

Commander of Tanglin Police Division Cheong Chee Ming said on Thursday: "We will continue to pursue criminals vigorously and take necessary action, including the use of necessary force to apprehend criminals.

"Police officers work in a dynamic environment. There are many unknowns out there and the risks the police officers face out there are very real. They have to be nimble."

This article was first published in The Straits Times.