The Taipei Police Department at a news conference yesterday revealed recovered surveillance footage from Songshan Precinct’s Zhonglun Police Station that was allegedly deleted by the station’s former director.
At about 2am on April 16, a group of 10 people stormed into the station as they pursued precinct physical training instructor Yang Chung-li (楊忠蒞) following an argument, and allegedly damaged a computer at the station.
Surveillance footage from the incident had been missing, and former station director Hsu Shu-huan (許書桓) — who was removed from the post on Thursday — had previously said he deleted it by accident.
Photo copied by Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
At yesterday’s news conference, Hsu’s lawyer read a statement from him saying that he deleted the footage out of concern that it would damage Yang’s image and that of the police force if made public.
Rumors that he deleted the footage under pressure from his superiors or others were groundless, he said, adding that he deeply regretted the effect that his action has had on the police force.
Hsu has been charged with destruction of evidence, and the 10 men who allegedly chased Yang and damaged police property are being investigated by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
Photo: CNA
The recovered footage comprised three deleted files, with one showing the 96 seconds when the men appear to burst into the station and damage the computer — from 2:15:45am to 2:17:21am, the office said.
One of the other files shows station Deputy Director Yen Min-sen (顏敏森) trying to stop a man who is alleged to have damaged the computer, while the other nine continue to chase Yang, it said.
The file then shows three officers stopping the nine men and escorting them out of the station, it added.
The third file shows Hsu and a police officer surnamed Fu (傅) operating the surveillance system at 7:08pm the same day, the office said.
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