TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Tainan District Persecutors Office on Wednesday (Sept. 7) completed the investigation into the killing of two police officers in Tainan City on Aug. 22 and are seeking the death penalty for the suspect.

Two Tainan City police officers, Tu Ming-cheng (凃明誠) and Tsao Jui-chieh (曹瑞傑), were stabbed to death while pursuing a scooter theft suspect in the city. The suspect, Lin Hsin-wu (林信吾), was arrested the next day.

The prosecutor's office held a press conference Wednesday to announce the completion of the investigation and that the office had charged the suspect with aggravated larceny, robbery, intentionally killing another, homicide, aggravated robbery, obstructing an officer in the discharge of duties, and violating the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act. The office said it will seek the death penalty for the suspect.



In response to the office’s announcement, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said that the evidence against the defendant is compelling, including evidence found on the suspect, the dashcam footage showing the suspect committing the crime, and the injuries the deceased officers had suffered as confirmed by the autopsies, according to the release. The prosecutors' investigation and seeking the death penalty live up to people's expectations, the mayor added.

With sufficient evidence to link the suspect to the killing, prosecutors were able to complete the investigation quickly, which will boost people’s confidence in the justice system, Huang added.

It is hoped that bringing the person responsible for the officers’ killing to justice will bring peace and closure to the victims’ families, the mayor added, per the release.