The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed the third reading of an amendment to the Act Governing the Use of Police Weapons (警械使用條例), to provide police officers with more flexibility and guidance in their use of firearms.
The Executive Yuan proposed the amendment after Railway Police Bureau officer Lee Cheng-han (李承翰) was stabbed in 2019 during a confrontation with a train passenger who had refused to pay the full fare.
The amendment was sent to the legislature in May 2020 and passed a preliminary review at the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee in December 2020, after which the process came to a halt.
Photo: CNA
Pressure to pass the amendment was revived after two Tainan police officers in August were stabbed to death by an inmate who failed to return following his temporary leave from a minimum-security prison.
The amended act relaxes rules governing weapon use for police, stipulating that if officers are unable to use firearms in the course of duty, they can use other items that can serve as weapons.
Police officers are allowed to use firearms if a person uses lethal weapons, dangerous objects or vehicles to attack, harm, seize or coerce officers or others, the amended act says.
Firearm use is also allowed if a person intends to grasp police firearms or other equipment that could cause casualties, or when police officers or others are in immediate danger, it says.
When police use of firearms causes casualties or controversy, the Ministry of the Interior should form a committee of experts and representatives from relevant agencies to investigate the timing and details of the incident, it says.
When firearm use causes an injury or a casualty, police officers should call for emergency medical care or send the injured person to a hospital, it says.
Police management should investigate the case and provide litigation aid and counseling services to the officers involved upon receipt of the committee’s report, it adds.
The State Compensation Act (國家賠償法) applies if an officer’s use of firearms on duty contravenes regulations and infringes on a person’s freedom or right, it says.
If the firearms use complies with the regulations but causes damage to a person’s life, body or property, compensation can be requested, it says.
Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) thanked legislators and legislative caucuses across party lines for passing the amendment, adding that the act is now more flexible and practical.
The ability to investigate incidents by committee, along with the compensation mechanism, can further protect police officers’ rights and interests, he added.
Additional reporting by Wu Su-wei
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
RSS