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Man arrested after 5-hour standoff
By Lynda Hong | Posted: 21 March 2011 1956 hrs
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SINGAPORE : An unemployed man in his mid-40s has been arrested for intimidation and drug-related offences following a five-hour standoff with the police.
The man had armed himself with a parang (machete) and refused to let his family and tenants out of their flat on the fourth floor of Block 706 Clementi West Street 2.
The police, who had arrived within 15 minutes of a call at 7.35 in the morning, tried to negotiate with the man but to no avail.
They then asked the woman and her three children to go into the master bedroom and lock themselves in it for their own safety.
Three tenants, who were also inside the house, locked themselves in two other bedrooms of the four-room unit.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force was also deployed, arriving at the scene at about 8am.
The crew set up a lifepak and rescue nets as a precautionary measure. They also pitched ladders at the front and rear bedrooms and assisted the family and tenants to descend to safety.
A total of seven people, including three foreign nationals and a three-year-old boy, were rescued from three different bedrooms of the apartment.
SCDF said the boy was secured with a safety harness and was brought down by a rescuer who rappelled with him.
No one was injured in the incident.
The man was arrested after the police forced their way into the unit at about 12.30pm.
Investigations are ongoing.
- CNA/al
