TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A group of young men who chased a police officer into a Taipei police station apologized for their actions on Thursday (April 22) and face charges for damaging public property, while the officer has been reprimanded.
Footage surfaced on Facebook showing at least seven men clad in black shirts chasing after a police officer. The officer, identified as Yang Chung-li (楊忠蒞), then ran into the Songshan Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department for safety.
The men giving chase, a man surnamed Hsu (徐), and another assailant surnamed Tu (涂) allegedly smashed a computer monitor in the front office. The incident was not reported until a video was posted anonymously by a netizen claiming to be an officer from the precinct on the Facebook page Kaobei Police (靠北警察) on Tuesday (April 20).
The footage quickly went viral and netizens began to question police handling of the matter. According to media reports, Yang had gone drinking with his friends before the incident.
Footage showing men dressed in black pursuing Yang Chung-li. (Facebook, Kaobei Police screenshot)
He notice a group of young men being boisterous at the intersection of Nanjing East Road and Beining Road. He confronted them over the noise, an argument ensued, and it was then that the chase began.
Instead of charging Hsu, police allegedly only asked that he write a letter of apology, reported ETtoday. However, after the incident was publicized, Hsu and several of his friends went to the police station to apologize for the damage they had inflicted and shook hands with Yang.
National Police Agency Director-General Chen Ja-chin (陳家欽) said that a full investigation will be carried out into the incident. Precinct Chief Lin Chih-cheng (林志誠) stated that Yang has been handed a demerit point and was demoted to another post.
On Thursday, police took Hsu and Tu in for questioning about the incident. After this they transferred the two men to the District Prosecutor's Office to be investigated for damaging public property.
