Wanted Man Arrested by Police After Locking Himself in his Flat

Throughout the ages, criminals have tried all sorts of things to evade the authorities.

Fleeing to another country and wearing a fake moustache are some of the more popular approaches, based on crime movies I’ve watched on Netflix.

But there’s one thing most criminals and fugitives have not tried. A plan so simple it seems silly: going home and locking the door.

Reader: And?

Well, that’s it.

Wanted Man is Arrested by Police After Locking Himself in his Flat

Wanted by the police, a man chose to lock himself in a residential flat in Bendemeer.

It didn’t exactly go as he planned, as he was later apprehended.

Netizens who recorded the incident on their phones shared the footage with Stomp. 

The video shows police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers setting up a safety life air pack and nets at the block.

The man was later seen being escorted to a police car.

Believed to be Involved in a Case of Criminal Intimidation

Speaking to Stomp, the police said they were conducting an operation at the location to follow up on a case of criminal intimidation on 10 Feb at about 4pm.

When he was made aware of the operation, the 76-year-old man locked himself inside his residential unit at Block 38C Bendemeer Road.

He then refused to heed officers’ repeated calls to open the door.

Afraid that he would pose a danger to himself and possibly others, officers decided to force their way into the flat to apprehend the man.

The 76-year-old was arrested under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act and was subsequently referred to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for further assessment.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Investigations are ongoing.

Second Such Incident in Five Days

Just five days earlier, officers from the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Special Operations Command broke down the door of an HDB apartment in Woodlands to arrest a resident.

Two videos of the incident were uploaded to Facebook on Monday (8 Feb).

The same officers were later seen escorting a handcuffed individual wearing a SAF no. 4 uniform to a police car.

The police explained that the man is a 37-year-old patient from IMH.

They received a call from IMH staff after he had allegedly refused to cooperate with them and locked himself inside his unit.

After his arrest, the man was referred to IMH for further assessment.

Featured Image: Google Maps