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
A Keelung high school on Saturday night apologized for using a picture containing a Chinese flag on the cover of the senior yearbook, adding that it has recalled the books and pledged to provide students new ones before graduation on Thursday. Of 309 Affiliated Keelung Maritime Senior High School of National Taiwan Ocean University graduates, 248 had purchased the yearbook. Some students said that the printer committed an outrageous error in including the picture, while others said that nobody would notice such a small flag on the cover. Other students said that they cared more about the photographs of classmates and what was
GOING INTERNATIONAL: Rakuten Girls squad leader Ula Shen said she was surprised that baseball fans outside of Taiwan not only knew of them, but also knew their names Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Oakland Athletics on Saturday hosted its first Taiwanese Heritage Day event at the Oakland Coliseum with a performance by Taiwanese cheerleading squad the Rakuten Girls and a video message from Vice President William Lai (賴清德). The Rakuten Girls, who are the cheerleaders for the CPBL’s Rakuten Monkeys, performed in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 people, followed by a prerecorded address by Lai about Taiwan’s baseball culture and democratic spirit. Taiwanese pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸), who was signed by the Athletics earlier this year, was also present. Mizuki Lin (林襄), considered a “baseball cheerleading goddess” by Taiwanese
WAY OF THE RUKAI: ‘Values deemed worthy often exist amid discomfort, so when people go against the flow, nature becomes entwined with our lives,’ a student said “Run, don’t walk” after your dreams, Nvidia cofounder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) told National Taiwan University (NTU) graduates yesterday, as several major universities held in-person graduation ceremonies for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. “What will you create? Whatever it is, run after it. Run, don’t walk. Remember, either you’re running for food, or you are running from becoming food. Oftentimes, you can’t tell which. Either way, run,” he said. Huang was one of several tech executives addressing graduating students at Taiwanese universities. National Chengchi University held two ceremonies, with alumnus Patrick Pan (潘先國), who is head of Taiwan
A 14-legged giant isopod is the highlight of a new dish at a ramen restaurant in Taipei and it has people lining up — both for pictures and for a bite from this bowl of noodles. Since “The Ramen Boy” launched the limited-edition noodle bowl on Monday last week, declaring in a social media post that it had “finally got this dream ingredient,” more than 100 people have joined a waiting list to dine at the restaurant. “It is so attractive because of its appearance — it looks very cute,” said the 37-year-old owner of the restaurant, who wanted to be