5-hour standoff at Teck Whye Lane after guy holds knife to neck and threatens to kill himself

A man pointed a knife at his throat and threatened to kill himself while standing on a window parapet during a police standoff at Block 108, Teck Whye Lane yesterday (May 8) at around 5pm.

Stomper Maria, Catherine, Paul and Faith who were in the vicinity alerted Stomp to the incident.

Maria, who was at the scene at around 7.15pm, told Stomp that a middle-aged man was holding a phone and shouting at police officers from the window of his unit. 

According to Maria, the man went down to the door of his unit at around 9pm, and opened the main door, although he left the metal gates locked. 

After a brief moment of negotiation with police officers outside his unit, he slammed the door again, and resumed his position at the parapet, with a knife pointed at his throat this time. 

Said Maria:

“The atmosphere was quite tense.

“We could all hear him shouting, but we could not make out the details as he was too far.”

The Police has issued an official statement on the incident:

“On May 8, 2017, at about 5pm, officers from Jurong Police Division were investigating a case of theft at one of the units at Block 108 Teck Whye Lane.

“A 42-year-old man who had refused to cooperate with the police locked himself inside the unit and threatened to kill himself.

“The Police Crisis Negotiation Unit was activated to talk to the man to surrender himself.

“After a five-hour standoff, officers from the Special Operations Command forced their way into the unit and arrested the man.

“The man was arrested for theft and attempted suicide.

“Police investigations are ongoing.“

With regard to the incident, the SCDF has also issued an official statement:

“SCDF was alerted to the incident at Blk 108, Teck Whye Lane at 4.56pm on May 8, 2017.

“Upon arrival, SCDF officers set up the safety lifepak and Disaster and Rescue Team (DART) rappellers were also on standby for deployment. 

“The subject was eventually apprehended by the police.

“SCDF conveyed the subject to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital with minor injuries. “