Keelung Nighttime Police-Citizen Clash: Siblings Attack Officers, Three Shots Fired

A late-night conflict between police and civilians recently broke out in Keelung, where a man surnamed Ko was stopped and questioned by police on the street, subsequently leading to a verbal and physical altercation. According to police investigations, Ko not only showed resistance during the questioning, but further pushed and verbally abused the on-duty officers. Because Ko was emotional and uncooperative, the officers at the scene decisively applied physical force in accordance with relevant provisions of the Police Power Exercise Act, pinning Ko to the ground to prevent the situation from escalating. However, at the critical moment when the police were subduing and controlling him, Ko's brother and sister happened to be at the scene. Instead of trying to dissuade him, the two lost control of their emotions and allegedly attacked the on-duty police officers, with the older brother even punching a police officer directly in the back of the head, plunging the scene into a state of high danger and chaos.

Faced with the sudden violent assault, and under the critical circumstances of being a lone officer facing overwhelming odds with personal safety threatened, the officer acted in accordance with the provisions of the Police Use of Weapons Act and decisively fired three warning shots into the air. Once the gunfire rang out, it successfully deterred the out-of-control violent behavior at the scene and effectively prevented the conflict from escalating further. Subsequently, backup police forces quickly rushed to the scene, took all three individuals—Ko and his siblings, who were suspected of obstructing official duties and committing violence—under control, and brought them back to the police station as suspects caught in the act for subsequent investigation. This incident not only highlights the unpredictable, high-risk emergencies that frontline officers frequently face when executing nighttime patrol and inspection duties, but once again brings to the surface the realistic issue of police enforcement dignity and public authority being challenged.

In recent years, frontline police officers encountering uncooperative citizens, verbal abuse, or even physical conflicts during routine duties have been frequently reported. When police personnel execute statutory duties such as inspections, roadside checks, or questioning, their actions are primarily based on the powers conferred by the Police Power Exercise Act. The purpose is to maintain social order, prevent crime, and ensure public safety. However, when citizens misunderstand the legitimacy of questioning or harbor dissatisfaction, they are often driven by emotions to refuse cooperation, which can even deteriorate into verbal provocation and physical conflict. Taking the Keelung incident as an example, a routine identity check or questioning eventually escalated into a serious criminal case involving family members intervening together and committing violence against the police, which not only caused potential physical harm to the on-duty officers, but also subjected the suspects to extremely serious legal consequences.

From a legal perspective, when citizens face police officers executing their duties, even if they have doubts about the questioning procedures or determination standards, under current laws and social order maintenance norms, they ought to safeguard their own rights and interests through retroactive administrative relief, filing appeals, or pursuing judicial channels. Under no circumstances is it permissible to adopt methods of on-site refusal, pushing, verbal abuse, or even violent confrontation against public authority. In addition to refusing the questioning, Ko further pushed and abused the police officers, and his actions were suspected of violating the offense of obstructing official duties under the Criminal Code. Meanwhile, the brother and sister who arrived shortly after not only failed to play a rational advisory role, but instead joined the fray and attacked the officers, with the older brother directly punching the officer in the back of the head. Such acts of exercising force and coercion against law enforcement personnel executing official duties are of an even more serious nature and will face the strictest investigation and prosecution by judicial authorities.

When police face such sudden violent assaults, the timing and procedures of firearm use have consistently received high attention and strict scrutiny from all sectors of society. According to the Police Use of Weapons Act, when a police officer's life, body, or freedom suffers from violence or coercion, or when encountering a violent assault by a suspect caught in the act while executing duties, officers have the right to use appropriate weapons—including firing warning shots into the air to achieve the purpose of deterrence and restraint—when it is truly necessary and the situation is urgent. In this case, at the critical juncture of being swarmed and attacked by multiple people, the officer decisively and calmly fired three warning shots into the air, which not only successfully controlled the out-of-control and chaotic situation at the scene and protected their own safety from more severe harm, but whose handling process also complied with the principle of proportionality and relevant legal regulations, fully demonstrating the police's determination and ability to defend public authority and maintain their own safety when facing violent challenges.

This late-night police-civilian conflict in Keelung ultimately concluded with all three suspects being escorted back by the police for investigation. However, the social phenomena and legal education issues reflected by the incident are worthy of deep reflection by all sectors. The exercise of public authority is the last line of defense for maintaining social order and ensuring that kind citizens can live and work in peace and contentment. Any behavior that challenges the dignity of police law enforcement not only destroys the legal foundation of society, but will also force the individuals involved to pay a heavy price in terms of their freedom. With the subsequent thorough investigation and trial by judicial authorities, this incident once again conveys a clear message to the general public: when facing police officers executing duties in accordance with the law, rational cooperation and respect for the rule of law are the only correct paths; any violent resistance to the law and assaults on police will surely be met with the most severe sanctions of the law. (Source of facts: Central News Agency)