TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Video surfaced on Monday (Oct. 30) showing the driver of a scooter shoot a motorist with a pepper ball gun in a road rage incident in Kaohsiung City.
At 7 a.m. on Sept. 16, a 23-year-old man surnamed Yang was driving a blue sedan down the inner lane of Jiuru 1st Road in front of the National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung City's Sanmin District, per New-reporter. However, when Yang attempted to get into the outside lane he allegedly failed to yield to a scooter driven in the outer lane by a 35-year-old man surnamed Li (李), leading to an altercation between the two.
Li fires shots at Yang. (Kaohsiung City Police Department screenshot)
Yang had reportedly darted into the outer lane, per China Times. The abrupt maneuver startled two scooter drivers, including Li, causing them to brake suddenly.
Li allegedly put up his middle finger at Yang. Li then drove past Yang's car and continued on his way.
Li hits Yang in neck with pepper ball gun. (Facebook, 翻轉大台北交通違規2.0 screenshot)
As can be seen in helmet camera footage of the incident, Yang pursued Li and swerved in front of him to block his path. Yang then got out of his car to confront Li, but Li pulled out a yellow and black pepper ball gun and fired five shots at Yang's head, neck, and shoulder.
The Sanmin Second Precinct of the Kaohsiung City Police Department was cited by FTV News as saying that Yang told the police he had a driving dispute with Li. He alleged that Li held a "pepper ball launcher" and shot five projectiles at him, inflicting injuries to his neck.
Yang runs away from the scene to avoid getting shot further. (Facebook, 翻轉大台北交通違規2.0 screenshot)
Yang's injuries were reportedly only minor. After being treated by medical staff at the scene, he was not sent to the hospital, but both parties decided to file a lawsuit against each other.
According to the Sanmin Second Precinct, Yang filed charges of assault (傷害罪), Offenses Against Reputation (妨害名譽罪), and threatening and endangering public safety (恐嚇危害安全罪) against Li, who in turn filed charges against Yang of coercion (強制罪).
Pepper ball gun police confiscated from Li. (Kaohsiung City Police Department photo)
Wounds Yang sustained from pepper balls. (Kaohsiung City Police Department photo)
