The Taiwan Postal Industry Union on Thursday said that employees’ request for self-defense gear went unheard during a labor management meeting, after a Miaoli postal worker was stabbed to death.
The postal worker surnamed Yang (楊) died after they were allegedly assaulted by a man surnamed Liu (劉) outside the Miaoli County Jhunan Post Office on Thursday around 4pm.
Yang was working at the post office’s unloading bay when Liu rushed into the area and allegedly attacked him with a knife, media reports said.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public via CNA
Liu surrendered immediately after the police’s arrival, but Yang had severe injuries to his head, face and chest, and was unresponsive at the scene, paramedics said.
Despite being sent to the hospital for emergency care, Yang could not be resuscitated and was later pronounced dead.
Liu’s father was quoted as saying that his son’s room on the second floor directly faced the post office’s unloading bay, and that his son often complained about excessive noise during the unloading of parcels and mail by post office workers.
The family had made repeated petitions to the post office and to Chunghwa Post’s main company office in Taipei, in hopes of addressing the noise complaint, but to no avail, the father said.
Chunghwa Post said Liu had brought a complaint to court, and the court’s investigation, as well as the local Environment Protection Agency’s report, showed that the sounds had not exceeded legal standards under the Noise Control Act (噪音管制法).
Zhunan police said Liu reportedly previously went to the front of the post office at about 1pm on Thursday carrying a knife and shouting at passersby before returning home.
The post office reported the incident, filing a report with police at about 3pm.
Authorities said they did not make an arrest at the time as police officers did not witness Liu brandishing a weapon.
However, after confirming reports, the police notified the local mental health center and asked Liu’s family to consider involuntary hospitalization.
Before any coordination could be finalized, Liu allegedly went on to fatally stab Yang in a separate incident at about 4pm.
The Miaoli District Court on Friday night granted the request by the Miaoli District Prosecutors’ Office to detain Liu.
“Society is truly sick,” Yang’s brother was quoted by local media as saying.
The postal union said the news has left many deeply saddened.
During a previous labor management meeting, employees had proposed that the company provide self-defense tools such as pepper spray, stun guns or batons, it said, adding that the company put the suggestion on hold, citing legal concerns.
If the motion had been approved, Yang’s fate might have been different, it said.
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