SINGAPORE - Findings from the investigation into the shooting incident at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) will help identify the problem and the corrective actions needed in future, Second Minister for Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said on Monday.
Last Saturday, a 24-year-old Singaporean man under remand tried to escape from KTPH and snatched the revolver of a 31-year-old police officer who tried to stop him.
Three shots were fired in the struggle that ensued and the policeman was wounded in his left thumb and right foot.
The case has been classified as an unlawful discharge of firearms under the Arms Offences Act, which carries the death penalty.
The man, whose identity has not yet been revealed, will appear in court at 2pm this afternoon.
"It's still before the courts and we need to do investigation," said Mr Masagos on the sidelines of a HomeTeamNS event on Monday morning. "The findings from this investigation will help us diagnose what the problems are and what kind of correction we need to make for the future."
The man had been arrested for motor vehicle theft last Friday - a day before the shooting - and was under remand for further investigation. He had complained of chest pains on Saturday and was escorted by police officers to KTPH.
There, he tried to escape from one of the hospital's examination rooms, which are "not accessible to the public", police said.
It is believed that the escape attempt took place when the police officer's colleague left the room.
The suspect was subsequently subdued, with the help of two paramedics from Hope Ambulance Service, The Straits Times learnt.
The injured police officer was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for immediate hand microsurgery and is now in stable condition.
