A man who on Friday attacked a military police officer with a sword outside the Presidential Office Building told prosecutors that his main intention was to kill President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), according to a statement yesterday by the Taipei District Court.
The court said Lu Chun-yi (呂軍億) was clear about his plan to assassinate the president during questioning and that he therefore must be kept in custody.
“Tsai Ing-wen was my main target, but I was also prepared to attack anyone else if they tried to get in my way,” Lu told investigators, the court said.
Lu, 51, at about 10:15am on Friday managed to approach the heavily guarded Presidential Office Building from the intersection of Boai Road and Zhangsha Street, and struck the neck of a guard with a sword.
Investigators later determined that Lu had stolen the Japanese military-issue sword from the Armed Forces Museum on Guiyang Street by smashing a display case with a hammer.
Lu was overpowered by other guards before he could reach the Presidential Office Building. Police later found a People’s Republic of China flag in his bag.
The injured guard had been rushed to the nearby National Taiwan University Hospital with a neck wound, but was in stable condition, the Presidential Office said on Friday.
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