Taichung City Police Department Commissioner Hu Mu-yuan (胡木源) yesterday said four police officers were punished for failing to take action while at a crime scene.
“They must be punished for misbehaving as law enforcement officers,” Hu said.
Hu said the officers were at the office of Weng Chi-nan (翁奇楠) on Friday when he was shot dead by an unidentified gunman.
The officers were allegedly connected to gang members and ignored the crime that took place in their presence, he said.
Hu said the officers were Traffic Chief Lin Chi-you (林啟右), Criminal Investigation Corps Third Division lieutenants Lin Wen-wu (林文武) and Shih Chang-hsing (石長興), and Sergeant Tai Chih-hung (戴志宏).
Hu said Lin Chi-yu would be removed from his administrative position. Lin Wen-wu, who will be retiring today, received a demerit.
Shih and Tai, meanwhile, only received citations, as they were following orders from their superiors.
Hu said the officers told investigators they went to Weng's office for a cup of tea at the invitation of a retired officer, but did not realize that Weng was there as well.
A gunman entered Weng's office on Da-dun 10th Street when Weng walked into the office at 4:20pm. Hu said a total of 16 shots were fired, with seven bullets hitting Weng.
Lai Jung-chen (賴榮振), a friend of Weng, was also wounded and remained in critical condition at press time.
Hu said a probe showed that Lin Chi-you and Lin Wen-wu did not see what happened as they were hiding under a coffee table during the shooting.
The four officers were not harmed, Hu said, adding that the gunman hopped into a vehicle and took off after firing the shots, Hu said.
A surveillance camera captured the gunman's face and the license plate of his vehicle, Hu said, adding that the picture of the suspect was distributed to the public.
Police confirmed the license plate was a stolen one.
The National Police Agency has dispatched 40 special force officers to Taichung following reports of a series of violent crimes.
Hu said he asked for help from the central government after consecutive shootings and kidnappings cases in recent weeks.
“As we don't have enough manpower at the moment, we can definitely use some help,” he said.
Also See: Taichung deploys SWAT to fight crime
RESPONSE: The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with other countries would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, an academic said Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait. The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination,
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS