A taxi driver was arrested early this morning after allegedly ramming his vehicle into the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, likely in protest against court rulings against him, the Taipei City Police Department said.
The department's Zhongzheng First Precinct said in a statement that it received a report at 5:46am that a taxi was driven into the front door of the office, which is near the Presidential Office Building.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers arrested a taxi driver surnamed Shao (邵) and seized his cab, police said, adding that the incident caused property damage but no injuries.
Photo: CNA
Although Shao's motive is under investigation, preliminary findings suggest he might have acted out of dissatisfaction with the outcomes of several legal cases involving him, including a ruling issued yesterday, police said.
Shao vented his dissatisfaction with Taiwan's judicial system on social media following yesterday’s ruling and later surveilled the prosecutors' office before driving his taxi into the building early yesterday, police said.
The vehicle had slogans including "the judicial system is dead" painted on it, they said.
Shao was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said, adding that he was arrested on suspicion of contravening several provisions of the Criminal Code, including obstruction of justice, public disorder and property damage.
Police have turned the case over to the Taipei Prosecutors' Office, which said it would seek to determine the motive for Shao's actions.
United Daily News reported that Shao had been involved in a civil defamation lawsuit with a medical professional and two traffic-related legal cases.
Yesterday’s ruling involved one of the traffic offenses, United Daily News reported, adding that Shao was sentenced to more than five months in prison for the three cases.
ETtoday reported that Shao was 53 and said that surveillance footage showed him walking toward his vehicle near the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office at about 5am before getting into the cab.
He then made a U-turn and drove directly toward the office, accelerating before impact, Ettoday reported.
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