Man, 53, arrested in Toa Payoh after allegedly threatening dad with knife for wanting mum to take TCM
A 53-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly threatened his 82-year-old father with a knife following a dispute over traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for his mother at their Toa Payoh home on Aug 18.
Stomper Speering alerted Stomp to the incident at Block 222 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh, where a large-scale emergency response involving the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) unfolded that afternoon.
She shared photos and videos showing numerous police and SCDF vehicles and officers at the block.
Officers were seen cordoning off parts of the area, while SCDF personnel attended to two large safety life air packs that had been inflated at the foot of the block.
Vehicles from the police’s Special Operations Command were also spotted.
The Stomper said the heavy police presence initially left bystanders wondering what had happened.
“When the Special Operations Command showed up, some bystanders initially thought it was a raid or a drug case,” she said.
One of the videos she shared with Stomp also shows several police officers escorting and directing a man into a police vehicle.
Argument allegedly started over mother’s medication
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the incident occurred in a flat on the 11th floor, where the family had lived for more than 50 years. The household comprises the elderly couple, their son and a domestic helper.
A 65-year-old neighbour told Zaobao that the son seldom goes out, while his mother has rarely left the flat after suffering a stroke years ago.
She described the 82-year-old father as friendly, saying he would greet and chat with her whenever they met at the lift lobby.
The father told the Chinese-language daily that his wife had suffered two strokes and was taking Western medication.
He wanted her to also try TCM, but his son strongly objected.
The disagreement allegedly escalated when the son went to the kitchen, took a knife and threatened his father.
“He pointed the knife at me, and I immediately called the police,” the father told Zaobao.
He said the police instructed him to head downstairs and keep away from his son while waiting for officers to arrive.
Father says son has difficulty controlling emotions
The father said his son generally behaved normally but had difficulty controlling his emotions when agitated and had been seeking treatment in recent years.
Previously, such episodes had involved shouting or slamming doors, according to the father. He claimed that this was the first time his son had threatened him with a knife.
After the authorities arrived, the man remained locked inside the flat.
Zaobao reported that a cordon stretching more than 60m was set up and dozens of SCDF personnel were deployed between the 10th and 12th floors. At least five police vehicles were also at the scene.
The elderly couple subsequently took shelter at a neighbour’s home while the situation was being handled.
SCDF deploys 2 safety life air packs
In response to a Stomp query, the SCDF said it received a call for assistance at Block 222 at about 12.45pm.
“SCDF deployed two safety life air packs and rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team were on standby as a precautionary measure,” it said.
There were no reported injuries.
Meanwhile, the police told Stomp that they received a call for assistance at about 12.30pm.
“When police officers arrived, it was established that a 53-year-old man had locked himself in his residential unit and might pose a danger to himself,” they said.
Personnel from the Special Operations Command, Crisis Negotiation Unit and SCDF responded to the incident.
At about 2.45pm, officers managed to gain entry into the unit and arrested the man for criminal intimidation.
Police investigations are ongoing.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
