Admitting he had pushed a police officer during a clash on Wednesday that led to the latter being injured, Liu Ching-cheng (劉慶澄) said he had asked Democratic Progressive Party official Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) to pass on his regards to the police officer on his behalf.
Liu was among six protesters from the pro-independence “908 Taiwan Republic” campaign who were detained and questioned on suspicion of public endangerment, obstruction of justice and assault.
All six were released on Thursday, with Liu on bail of NT$100,000 and Chou Ming-wen (周明文), a Christian pastor, on bail of NT$20,000.
FIREWORKS
TV footage of the incident showed what looked like Chen Chu-hsiang (陳諸想), a captain from the Taichung City Second Precinct, being pushed from the group’s protest truck on Wednesday night as he tried to stop the demonstrators setting off fireworks in the direction of the hotel where Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) was staying.
Chen sustained lacerations to his face and minor head injuries. He is a distant cousin of Lin.
Liu said he hoped Chen would recover soon, adding that he would visit the police officer after his release on bail.
Liu said he acted as he did because when a group of police boarded the truck, an officer choked him. After freeing himself, he automatically pushed in self-defense when he was approached by Chen.
Liu said he did not think at that moment that Chen would fall off the truck and be injured.
Prosecutors said the protesters had only breached administrative law by letting off fireworks. The prosecutors did not comment on whether the police had used excessive force in carrying out their duties.
Chou said Chen should have been more careful when climbing onto the truck, adding that the police didn’t need to act as they had.
DANGEROUS
Chou said the police should have followed standard procedure when trying to stop them, adding that it was wrong, extremely dangerous and unnecessary for the police to have jumped on a moving truck from all directions and to allegedly start kicking and choking people.
Taichung police yesterday denied using excessive force, saying officers only acted to stop the protesters after they ignored a verbal warning.
Meanwhile, Taichung’s Cheng Ching Hospital said yesterday that Chen was in a stable condition.
He would remain under observation before an assessment on whether he could be transferred to a regular ward today, the hospital said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
RSS