SINGAPORE - A 20-year-old man was arrested in the wee hours of Friday (Oct 9) for possessing a knife and punching a police officer.

Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers from the Central Police Division encountered the man at a lift lobby of Block 6 Beach Road at around 3.50 am, and conducted a spot check.

The man claimed that a black sling bag he was carrying was empty. He later attempted to flee and pulled out a knife from his bag when the officers requested for his particulars.

The officers disarmed the man and attempted to restrain him, but he ended up punching one of them and fleeing the scene.

The officer sustained facial injuries, and the knife was seized as a case exhibit.

The police arrested the man at a residential unit in the same block an hour later, for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty and possession of scheduled weapon.

"The Police have zero tolerance towards such brazen acts which threaten the safety of our officers and will not hesitate to take action against those who blatantly disregard the law," said SPF in a statement.

For voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty, the man could be jailed up to seven years, and fined or caned.

For possessing a knife, he could be jailed for up to five years and given at least six strokes of the cane.