79-year-old man apprehended after locking himself in Clementi flat

An elderly man was apprehended after locking himself inside his Clementi HDB flat on Monday (March 30) afternoon.

Photos of the incident shared on Threads showed police cordoning off an HDB block, while SCDF officers deployed a yellow airbag. Several SCDF and police vehicles were also present at the scene.

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police said they received a call for assistance at Block 358 Clementi Avenue 2 at about 11.20am.

Upon arrival, it was established that a 79-year-old man had locked himself inside a residential unit.

Based on the police's assessment that the man might pose a danger to himself, officers from the Special Operations Command, the Crisis Negotiation Unit, and the SCDF were deployed to the scene.

Police officers subsequently managed to gain entry into the man's unit at 1.50pm. 

SCDF told AsiaOne that officers at the scene deployed two safety life air packs, while rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team were placed on standby as a precautionary measure. 

According to the police, the man was subsequently apprehended under Section 7(1) of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008 and that no injuries were reported. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com