Fumbling with a Taser, after police crash course
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He paced around for a couple of minutes about 8m away from me, refusing to stand down.
Within a split second, the "assailant" suddenly charged, shouting and brandishing a rubber pole.
I reached for my Taser, but in the heat of the moment, I fumbled with the holster and chose flight instead of fight, moving quickly away from the "armed" man.
Inexplicably, he stopped, giving me time to draw the weapon before he charged again, and, this time, I forgot to switch off the safety mode of the Taser and failed to subdue him.
Following recent incidents in which police officers have had to rely on firearms and Tasers to subdue suspects, the media was invited to the Home Team Academy in Choa Chu Kang last Thursday to undergo a crash course on the arms and techniques officers here are equipped with to safely carry out operations.
Training began in a classroom where we were taught how to hold, rack and fire simulation rounds using the Glock19 Gen 5 simulation pistol.
We got to test our skills from 5m at a shooting range.
While officers are trained to react quickly and fire at the centre of the body to stop moving targets, I took several seconds to steady my shaking hands and managed to hit the stationary target once in the arm.
Later, we fired at a moving live target in the form of padded-up trainers charging towards us in an outdoor training area.
I managed to shoot the trainer in the arm and body despite being visibly flustered.
Training continued at the dojo where we were taught contact tactics and how to use a baton.
The contact drills where we put each other in locks and holds were exhausting, but when the instructor mentioned "Taser", my energy picked up.
We lined up to try firing the Taser X26P at a cut-out target, aiming for the centre of the body.
After a full day of training, we were given a role-play exercise to put all we had learnt to the test.
We were partnered up and given a scenario to decide which technique would be best suited to deal with a suspect.
My partner and I faced an armed "suspect" spotted at the void deck of a housing block.
Nerves got the better of me and I faltered twice.
Thankfully, my partner had quicker hands and successfully Tasered the "assailant", with the probes landing in his arm and thigh.
Safe to say I'll leave the police work to the fully trained officers and stick to my day job.
Jean Iau
Incidents in recent years in which police used a Taser or firearm
2022
CLEMENTI
On Feb 17, a man, 49, was shot by an officer outside Clementi Neighbourhood Police Centre. The police said he was seen holding a knife outside the police station. When officers approached him, he shouted incoherently, refused to comply and charged towards one of them.
The man suffered a gunshot wound on his left arm and was taken conscious to the hospital.
BENDEMEER ROAD
A man wielding a knife was shot dead at Block 33 Bendemeer Road on March 23.
The police said Ng Eng Kui, 64, a drug offender, was walking around the foot of the HDB block shouting and brandishing a knife. When officers told him to drop the weapon, he refused and advanced towards them.
The officers fired three Taser shots and retreated, but he continued to advance towards them.
BEACH ROAD
A man who allegedly attacked his wife with a chopper near Beach Road on April 14 was arrested after he was Tasered.
When the police arrived at Chong Qing (Origin) Steamboat, the man, 46, refused to drop his weapon despite warnings from officers.
BOON LAY
A 56-year-old man was arrested last Friday after being Tasered. He allegedly charged at officers while holding a knife at Boon Lay Place.
2020
BALESTIER
On Nov 5, a man was shot in the abdomen. The man, then 36, allegedly assaulted an officer and tried to grab the revolver of a second officer. He was taken to hospital and was reported then to be in stable condition.
2015
SHANGRI-LA HOTEL
A man, 34, was shot dead by police on May 31, near the Shangri-La Hotel where the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-level security summit, was being held.
He drove a red Subaru Impreza and was stopped at a police checkpoint in Ardmore Park.
When officers asked to inspect the boot, he accelerated. Despite warnings to stop, he continued to crash through police barricades before he was shot.
Jean Iau
