A 17-year-old teenager was arrested for his suspected involvement in an incident in which a police officer was injured while carrying out his duties in Punggol.
The police said that they were alerted at about 10.30 pm on January 22 to a group of youths creating excessive noise in the vicinity of Block 305A Punggol Road. When officers arrived at the scene, the group allegedly scattered in different directions.
According to the police, the teenager was seated on a personal mobility device (PMD) when an officer stopped him by holding onto the PMD's handlebar and his arm. The teenager then allegedly accelerated abruptly, dragging the officer for some distance before the officer fell to the ground.
As a result, the officer sustained lacerations to his forehead, left eyebrow and left cheek. The teenager later lost control of the PMD and crashed it into a nearby pillar. He was arrested shortly after the incident.
The injured officer received about 20 stitches for his facial injuries and was given 13 days of medical leave, the police said.
The teenager is expected to be charged in court on Tuesday, January 27, with voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty, an offence under Section 332 of the Penal Code. If convicted, he faces a possible jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or caning.
Investigations are ongoing. The police said they have zero tolerance for violence against officers or public servants performing their duties and will take firm action against those who endanger their safety.
