Woman who brandished knife and stabbed herself after stand-off with police to be charged, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Woman who brandished knife and stabbed herself after stand-off with police to be charged

This article is more than 12 months old

A woman who brandished a knife and stabbed herself in the abdomen during a stand-off with police outside a secondary school in Tampines will be charged in court on Wednesday.

The 53-year-old will be charged for possession of offensive weapons in a public place.

At about 6.30pm on Monday evening, the police received a call for assistance regarding a woman who was allegedly waving a knife along Tampines Street 82.

In videos posted online, the woman was seen surrounded by at least 10 police officers outside St Hilda's Secondary School.

At least three of the officers were decked in tactical gear and held what looked like sub-machine guns.

In a statement on Tuesday, the police said: "During the engagement with the officers, the woman purportedly brandished a knife at the officers, and used the same knife to stab herself in her abdomen.

"Despite verbal commands to the woman to place the knife down, the woman allegedly disregarded the officers' instructions, continued to brandish the knife and placed the knife on her neck and threatened to harm herself further."

One of the officers then used her taser on the woman to prevent further self-harm.

The woman was subsequently subdued and arrested at the scene. Two knives were seized from her.

She was taken to Changi General Hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

The woman will also be investigated by the Central Narcotics Bureau for suspected drug-related offences.

The offence of possession of offensive weapons in a public place carries a jail term of up to three years and caning of not less than six strokes.

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