An 11-year-old red-belted taekwondo enthusiast recently gained online attention after the wide distribution of a story about his bare-fisted intervention against an alleged armed drug addict who police said was attempting to rob his mother.
The boy, surnamed Hsu (許), is a 1.4m tall fifth-grade student from Greater Kaohsiung who has studied the Korean martial art for three years.
Hsu said he is passionate about taekwondo because he hopes to become a police officer, adding that he never thought that the first person he would help would be his mother.
“I did not realize how dangerous it was because I was too focused on saving my mother,” Hsu said.
Hsu’s mother said that although she was proud of her son, she has told him to just call for help the next time he finds himself or others in danger.
The alleged robbery attempt occurred about 1:30pm on April 6, when someone — thought to be a 29-year-old man surnamed Lin (林), who police have detained — attacked Hsu’s mother with a brick while she and her son were cycling along Jhongsiao W Road.
Hsu’s mother was reportedly threatened with a watermelon knife after being knocked to the ground, but when the assailant tried to snatch her gold necklace, the 11-year-old fought him off with punches and kicks. The necklace was said to be worth about NT$8,000.
Hsu also pulled off the attacker’s helmet, which prompted the assailant to escape on his motorcycle.
Despite Hsu’s bravery, the attacker managed to remove the necklace.
After examining videos from surveillance cameras near the scene, police found Lin at his home in the city’s Linyuan District (林園) and detained him on Tuesday, the precinct said.
The police also said they found the clothes and helmet the attacker was said to be wearing during the incident and 0.55g of heroin.
Police said that Lin worked at a steel mill in the district and that he resorted to robbery because his monthly salary of NT$20,000 could not support his alleged drug habit.
A preliminary investigation also implicates Lin in an alleged robbery on April 5, when someone reportedly hit a woman surnamed Chan (詹) in the head and tried to rip a NT$50,000 gold chain off her neck.
Based on their findings, prosecutors have charged Lin with robbery and drug possession.
Linyuan Police Precinct Criminal Investigation Brigade Commander Tsai Yueh-tung (蔡岳同) said what the taekwondo student did for his mother was courageous, but also dangerous.
“When facing an armed robber, one must refrain from provoking and irritating the bandit… Hsu is a really brave child, but it was too risky to fight the robber because he might be willing to do anything to avoid being caught,” Tsai said.
Tsai also offered three pieces of advice that he said could save lives: Put personal safety first, remember as many physical characteristics of the assailant as possible and do not stop a fleeing thief.
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