A 61-year-old man will be charged in court tomorrow for attempted murder for allegedly stabbing a safe distancing officer at a park, according to the authorities.
The man is accused of assaulting one of two safe-distancing officers who approached him at the Sungei Serangoon Park connector around noon yesterday. The authorities did not reveal what transpired between the two, but said the man was not wearing a face mask and was illegally cutting plants.
After the incident, the man reportedly fled the scene on a bicycle only to be arrested over an hour later.
“During the engagement, the man turned aggressive and attacked the officer with a sharp instrument. The officer sustained injuries,” the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources said in a statement. The officers were from the NParks government agency.
“The NParks officer is currently warded at a hospital for treatment. Our thoughts are with the officer and his family, and we are extending our support. We wish him a complete and speedy recovery,’ the ministry added. The injured officer is being treated at Changi General Hospital, police told reporters last night.
Photos released by the police showed the man in handcuffs and a collection of eight different tools carried by the suspect, including knives.
A court order is being sought to send the man for psychiatric assessment, reports said. He is also being investigated for carrying weapons in public and breaching safe distancing measures.
If found guilty of attempted murder, he faces up to 15 years in jail.
Police did not immediately respond to Coconuts Singapore’s phone inquiries.
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