Thu, Apr 17, 2025 page2

• Police issue self-defense advice to public

  • By Esme Yeh / Staff writer, with CNA
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  The public is advised to leverage objects at hand, such as bags, long umbrellas, thick jackets or fire extinguishers, to defend themselves against attackers on the MRT, the Taipei City Police Department’s Rapid Transit Division said.

  The division’s Inspection Section instructor Lee Hsien-ming (李賢明) said passengers encountering sudden attacks should refrain from trying to defeat an assailant.

  They should prioritize defending themselves and staying away from an attacker, he said.

  

  The Taipei Police Department’s Rapid Transit Division logo is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo: screen grab from the Web site of the Taipei Police Department’s Rapid Transit Division

  In an emergency, a victim could use their own or other people’s items, such as big bags, to shield important body parts from being stabbed, Lee said.

  If a weapon is stabbed into the bag, they should continue to defend themselves and step backward instead of moving forward, he said.

  Once the doors open, a victim could push an attacker using the bag and let the police and station personnel handle the incident, Lee said.

  Most people lack fighting experience, so they should avoid using objects to fight against an attacker, he said.

  Defensive materials or tools are aimed to protect important body parts and create distance between a victim and an attacker, Lee said, adding that these objects could be discarded when the victim gets a chance to run away.

  Long umbrellas could be used to keep a distance and poke an attacker to reduce the chance of being assaulted, he said.

  The J-shaped handle of long umbrellas can be used to interfere with an attacker’s weapon, so that an attacker would be distracted and a victim would be able to flee, Lee said.

  However, folding umbrellas should not be used, as their handle is often fragile and hollow, and their foldability might accidentally shorten the distance between an attacker and their victim, which could increase the risk of being stabbed, he said.

  People could also fling thick jackets around an attacker’s hand to add a barrier to their movement, create distance and distract an attacker, Lee said.

  A victim could take the chance to escape while warning passengers in the car by shouting that “they have got a knife” to help minimize deaths and injuries, he said.

  While each car of the MRT train is equipped with fire extinguishers, they are too heavy for people to use as a weapon, Lee said.

  However, people could use fire extinguishers to spray dry chemical powder at an attacker from a distance, he said.

  People used to ignoring their surroundings while using their phone on the MRT are advised to raise their head and use their phone from a higher position to broaden their vision, so they could notice something amiss, Lee said.

  That could lessen the possibility of being hurt and increase their chances of survival, he added.

  If a victim is in a crowded car, they are advised to push an attacker, shout “knife” and escape, as people around them would soon disperse following the warning, Lee said, adding that hand-to-hand fighting with an attacker is not advised.

  The strategy could prevent a victim from being severely harmed while awaiting assistance, he said.
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