Police arrest knife-wielding man who held woman hostage in Yishun
A 42-year-old man was arrested on Monday morning after taking a 60-year-old woman hostage in Yishun.
The police said they responded to a call for assistance at 7.35am in Yishun Ring Road. A man had allegedly held a woman at knifepoint.
The knife has been seized, said the police.
In a video put up on Facebook, the man can be seen at the void deck of Block 108 Yishun Ring Road holding a knife to the woman’s neck as police officers tried to calm him down.
Officers continued negotiating with the man, who then took the woman to a nearby coffee shop at Block 110.
Officers believed to be from the Singapore Police Force’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) then arrived at the scene, armed with bulletproof vests and sub-machine guns.
The ERT is a specialised tactical unit that comprises officers handpicked from the seven land divisions.
They are equipped with tactical and counter-assault skills to respond to terror attacks, and cases that involve firearms and dangerous weapons, such as knives.
In the video, the officers can be seen rushing towards the man, pinning him to the ground. A bystander is seen helping out.
The woman sustained minor injuries, but refused to be taken to hospital, said the police.
Based on preliminary investigations, the man and woman do not know each other.
When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at about 11am, it was business as usual at the coffee shop.
Witnesses said the entire situation was resolved by about 10am.
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