http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,207717,00.html?
Why did he take on cops?
Cabby: They blocked my way home
Cops: He put up violent struggle
By Elysa Chen
July 14, 2009
FINED $600: Mr Lee Choon Guan, 54, a taxi driver, shows how he was pinned down and handcuffed by the police. TNP PICTURE: JONATHAN CHOO
WHEN he saw his way into the carpark blocked by a police car, Lee Choon Guan hit his car horn.
He did it again and again.
Unhappy that his journey home after a long day of driving his taxi was being delayed, he then shouted at the police officers.
'This is not your father's road,' he said.
He didn't stop there. A police spokesman said he also hurled vulgarities at the officers.
Even after warning him that he was breaking the law, he continued.
That's when they moved in and handcuffed him, while his wife looked on.
Lee was later charged in court and fined $600.
Lee, 54, who lives in Marine Parade, was driving home to Marine Terrace after having dinner with his wife at 10pm on 27 Jun. He found his way blocked by a police car.
Lee told The New Paper in Mandarin: 'The car was parked in the middle of the entrance to the carpark. It was very difficult to get in.
'I had started work at 6.30am that day. At that time, I was very tired, and I just wanted to go home and rest.'
He saw the police checking a young couple. The cops had sealed off the carpark because they were on the hunt for two theft suspects.
Lee didn't know this, nor did he get out to enquire. Instead, he sounded the horn.
When he thought nothing was being done, he shouted at the policemen.
Then he whipped out his handphone and shot pictures of them while sounding his horn repeatedly.
He said that was when the police officers approached him and asked for his identify card.
He said: 'But I didn't do anything wrong, why should I show them my IC? Even if they were handling an emergency and needed to park at the entrance to the carpark, they should have at least parked straight, and not obstruct the way of those trying to enter and exit the carpark.'
The police officers tried explaining the situation to him but they said he refused to cooperate.
Vulgarities
Instead, Lee started shouting and used vulgarities on the officers.
The officers called for back-up, Lee said, and within minutes, others arrived at the scene.
When he turned violent, he was held down by some of the police officers and handcuffed, said Lee.
Lee's wife, Madam Tan Chye Hong, 53, claimed that in the scuffle, her husband got cuts on his arms, knees and face.
Lee said that the police took him to a doctor at Changi General Hospital, where he was treated for his abrasions.
He was then taken to the Bedok police station and detained for the night. He was released at 2pm the next day, after his wife posted bail of $5,000.
When he went to court, he was handed the $600 fine for disorderly behaviour.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What police say
POLICE spokesman Humphrey Sew said that on that night, police spotted two suspects who were believed to be involved in an earlier case of theft near the entrance of the carpark at Block 51 Marine Terrace.
He said: 'To prevent the suspects from escaping, the officers decided to park their police car across the entrance of the carpark. This caused the road leading into the carpark to be partially blocked.'
He added that the police officers had switched on the blinker and hazard lights of the police car to alert passing motorists, as they were mindful of the temporary inconvenience caused.
However, Lee's taxi had stopped behind the police car while the incident was still ongoing, and he was unhappy that the police car was blocking the carpark entrance.
He added: 'Although the police officers explained the situation to him and tried to calm him down, the taxi driver was uncooperative and spewed vulgarities at the police officers.'
Although the officers had warned Lee that he would be arrested for disorderly behaviour if he persisted, he refused to heed their advice and put up a violent struggle.
Necessary force was thus used to apprehend him, said the spokesman.
Why did he take on cops?
Cabby: They blocked my way home
Cops: He put up violent struggle
By Elysa Chen
July 14, 2009
FINED $600: Mr Lee Choon Guan, 54, a taxi driver, shows how he was pinned down and handcuffed by the police. TNP PICTURE: JONATHAN CHOO
WHEN he saw his way into the carpark blocked by a police car, Lee Choon Guan hit his car horn.
He did it again and again.
Unhappy that his journey home after a long day of driving his taxi was being delayed, he then shouted at the police officers.
'This is not your father's road,' he said.
He didn't stop there. A police spokesman said he also hurled vulgarities at the officers.
Even after warning him that he was breaking the law, he continued.
That's when they moved in and handcuffed him, while his wife looked on.
Lee was later charged in court and fined $600.
Lee, 54, who lives in Marine Parade, was driving home to Marine Terrace after having dinner with his wife at 10pm on 27 Jun. He found his way blocked by a police car.
Lee told The New Paper in Mandarin: 'The car was parked in the middle of the entrance to the carpark. It was very difficult to get in.
'I had started work at 6.30am that day. At that time, I was very tired, and I just wanted to go home and rest.'
He saw the police checking a young couple. The cops had sealed off the carpark because they were on the hunt for two theft suspects.
Lee didn't know this, nor did he get out to enquire. Instead, he sounded the horn.
When he thought nothing was being done, he shouted at the policemen.
Then he whipped out his handphone and shot pictures of them while sounding his horn repeatedly.
He said that was when the police officers approached him and asked for his identify card.
He said: 'But I didn't do anything wrong, why should I show them my IC? Even if they were handling an emergency and needed to park at the entrance to the carpark, they should have at least parked straight, and not obstruct the way of those trying to enter and exit the carpark.'
The police officers tried explaining the situation to him but they said he refused to cooperate.
Vulgarities
Instead, Lee started shouting and used vulgarities on the officers.
The officers called for back-up, Lee said, and within minutes, others arrived at the scene.
When he turned violent, he was held down by some of the police officers and handcuffed, said Lee.
Lee's wife, Madam Tan Chye Hong, 53, claimed that in the scuffle, her husband got cuts on his arms, knees and face.
Lee said that the police took him to a doctor at Changi General Hospital, where he was treated for his abrasions.
He was then taken to the Bedok police station and detained for the night. He was released at 2pm the next day, after his wife posted bail of $5,000.
When he went to court, he was handed the $600 fine for disorderly behaviour.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What police say
POLICE spokesman Humphrey Sew said that on that night, police spotted two suspects who were believed to be involved in an earlier case of theft near the entrance of the carpark at Block 51 Marine Terrace.
He said: 'To prevent the suspects from escaping, the officers decided to park their police car across the entrance of the carpark. This caused the road leading into the carpark to be partially blocked.'
He added that the police officers had switched on the blinker and hazard lights of the police car to alert passing motorists, as they were mindful of the temporary inconvenience caused.
However, Lee's taxi had stopped behind the police car while the incident was still ongoing, and he was unhappy that the police car was blocking the carpark entrance.
He added: 'Although the police officers explained the situation to him and tried to calm him down, the taxi driver was uncooperative and spewed vulgarities at the police officers.'
Although the officers had warned Lee that he would be arrested for disorderly behaviour if he persisted, he refused to heed their advice and put up a violent struggle.
Necessary force was thus used to apprehend him, said the spokesman.
