4th blade incident in a week: Man swings chopper while fighting in Bendemeer

SINGAPORE - A 77-year-old man was arrested for criminal intimidation and possession of an offensive weapon on Wednesday (March 16).

The police said in a statement on Thursday that they had received multiple calls about a fight between two men in 29 Bendemeer Road on Wednesday at around 6.55pm.

One of the men allegedly wielded a chopper, and both left the scene before the police arrived.

With the help of police cameras, the man who wielded the chopper was arrested within two hours of the incident, said the police.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 77-year-old had allegedly swung the chopper at the other man during the fight but did not hit him, or anyone else.

He will be charged in court on Friday.

The offence of criminal intimidation carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine or both, while that of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place carries a jail term of up to three years and at least six strokes of the cane.

This latest incident comes after three separate incidents involving blades were reported on Monday. Three men have been charged in relation to these incidents.

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The first case involved a man who was caught on video swinging a sword at pedestrians and several cars near Buangkok Square mall at about 1.55pm on Monday. He was charged on Wednesday with one count of voluntarily causing hurt with a samurai sword.

In the second incident at around 6.20pm on Monday, a 33-year-old man allegedly slashed two people with a razor blade in Strathmore Avenue. He was on Wednesday handed two counts of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.

In the third incident, which happened after 9pm on Monday, a man allegedly threw a knife at a police officer after he was confronted following a call for assistance in Bukit Batok. The knife hit the officer's right cheek.

The man was arrested and the knife seized, along with five other knives after the police raided his home.

He was charged on Wednesday for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty, carrying an offensive weapon in a public place, and abetting the offence of possessing offensive weapons.

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