TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Lee Cheng-han (李承翰), the police officer who was mortally wounded while trying to restrain a berserk passenger on a Taiwan train on Wednesday (July 3), was an only child who graduated at the top of his class with honors at the police academy.
On Wednesday (July 3) the 24-year-old railway police officer boarded a TRA Tze-Chiang Limited Express (自強號) train to help restrain a 54-year-old man surnamed Cheng (鄭) who had become agitated after being confronted for not buying a ticket. When Lee arrived on the scene, Cheng had become inexplicably enraged over the seemingly minor incident and was waving a knife.
In order to ensure the safety of passengers and staff on the train, Lee selflessly stepped forward and tried to subdue the berserk Cheng. In the ensuing struggle, Lee suffered a 5-cm-long gash to the upper abdomen.
According to the hospital, Lee underwent several hours of emergency surgery that did not end until 4 a.m. on Thursday morning (July 4). Lee was then sent to the intensive care unit, where he later succumbed to his wounds and was declared dead at 8:27 a.m. on Thursday, reported CNA.
Lee while on duty. (CNA photo)
Chen Shun-han (陳順和), director of the Kaohsiung branch of the Railway Police Bureau, told CNA that Lee was a native of Chiayi City and graduated at the top of his class from the police academy in 2014. Chen said that Lee had performed very well and was praised by his colleagues over the nearly five years he served at the Chiayi Police Station.
Lee's parents, with whom he lived with in Chiayi City, were deeply saddened by the loss of their only child. They told the media that police officers should be dispatched to such confrontations with a partner, rather than alone.
On Thursday (July 4), Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with Lee's parents to offer her condolences. Lee's mother told Tsai that her son had always been an upstanding citizen, but the societal environment is bad.
Lee's mother said that she hoped her son would be the last police officer to perish in this way. She also hoped that the government could improve the working environment for the police.
Lee demonstrated great enthusiasm for his work and was unmarried and did not have a girlfriend. Lee, who was greatly beloved by his colleagues, had been making preparations to celebrate his birthday on July 12.
