Suspect shot in Balestier condo after he attacks cop and tries to grab his gun

A suspect was shot in the abdomen after he attacked a police officer and refused to stop despite being warned by another officer who drew his revolver.

Instead, the man rushed at the other officer and grabbed his weapon. He was shot in the ensuing struggle but continued to grapple with the officer for his revolver.

Backup officers eventually subdued the 36-year-old suspect, who was taken to hospital where he is in stable condition.

He has been arrested for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from carrying out his duty, as well as for cheating offences and suspected drug-related offences.

He has also been linked to incidents of unlawful assembly and Customs-related illegal activities, the police said yesterday.

Three plainclothes officers, armed with revolvers and handcuffs, had raided an apartment at City Suites condominium in Balestier Road at about 1am yesterday to arrest four suspects linked to a series of cheating cases.

When they entered the unit, the man lunged and attacked one of them repeatedly, causing him to fall to the floor and bleed from the face.

When a second man started moving towards the first officer, his colleague drew his revolver in a bid to stop him from joining in the assault.

After the 36-year-old man attacked the officer with the revolver, the second man assaulted the first officer, the police said. Both officers were hurt - the first with arm and facial injuries while his colleague had wounds on his hands and lips.

The police said the second man, 22, was also arrested for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from carrying out his duty.

Two women in the flat, aged 33 and 23, said to be the men's girlfriends, were arrested for cheating and suspected consumption of controlled drugs.

The police seized $20,000 of suspected criminal proceeds, drugs and drug-related paraphernalia. The Central Narcotics Bureau is investigating the alleged drug offences.

Three other suspects - two men aged 32 and 18 and an 18-year-old woman - were arrested earlier in relation to the cheating cases.

The seven are suspected of using other people's particulars and stolen credit card details to purchase mobile phones from a telco and reselling them.

At a press conference in Tanglin Police Division yesterday, its commander Cheong Chee Ming said initial investigations show the use of force was proportionate to the threat perceived by the officer.

"Police officers work in dynamic environments," he said, adding that they face risks daily and need to " react to situations as they develop".