Police arrest a sword wielding man who attacked passing cars and passersby in the vicinity of Buangkok Square, but some social media users are worried about what happened to the groceries of the people who stopped the attacker.

 

A man who was swinging a sword at several cars along Buangkok Crescent on Monday (March 14) afternoon has been arrested by the police after he was restrained by members of the public for his actions.

Videos which are being virally shared in several social media platforms shows the man who is dressed in a dark coloured tank top, long pair of pants and spotting a crew-cut, swinging the sword towards passing cars and members of the public.

He can be seen walking in the middle of a two-lane road as he approached a stationary white car with a sword unsheathed. As the man approached the car and pointed the tip of the sword at the front passenger window, the driver drove off and the man swung the sword at the car. It appeared to hit the vehicle’s rear.

The police said they responded to a call for help at about 1.55pm on Monday in the vicinity of Buangkok Square and that two people sustained minor injuries, and at least three cars were damaged because of the dangerous act by the man.

The man was eventually detained by five members of the public after he slipped and fell while intimidating a member of the public. He was eventually arrested by police officers who responded to the incident.

Police said that the man was arrested for criminal intimidation and possession of an offensive weapon. They added that the sword has been seized as a case exhibit and that investigations are ongoing.

While the videos and news reports of the sword swinging man has gone viral in several media platforms, some social media users are worried if the groceries carried by the passersby who responded to the attack were damaged. Another pointed out how eggs were very expensive these days and hoped that they were not broken.

Such comments by social media users comes at a time when the cost of living has gone up exponentially with the rise in inflation, increase in petrol and diesel prices, and the announcement of GST increase from next year. For example, the price of a pack of 30 eggs sold at supermarkets has risen from $4.75 in March last year to $6.15 now.

Most social media users however, commended the bravery of the passersby who stopped and restrained the sword wielding man. They asked for the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force to recognise the bravery of those that stopped the attacker with an award.

Anyone found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place may be jailed for up to three years and caned not fewer than six strokes. For criminal intimidation, the man could be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.

On 17 February this year, the Police reported that they arrested a 49-year-old knife wielding man along Block 420A Clementi Avenue 1 after shooting him. The Police said that they had to shoot him as he refused to comply with repeated warnings to drop the knife and charged towards one of the officers, while armed with a knife. The Police added that it will not tolerate criminal acts which display a blatant disregard of the law and we will spare no efforts to bring those responsible to justice.