TAITUNG, TAIWAN— On Sunday (9 Jul), a shocking random attempted murder case occurred in Taitung City.
The suspect demonstrated brutal knife skills, but several brave passersby intervened using items such as a soup ladle, an electric fan, and a suitcase to rescue the victim. Fortunately, the female victim managed to escape the deadly attack.
The incident took place at noon that day. A CCTV recording shared on social media shows a woman crossing a road while pulling a suitcase. A male suspect wearing a blue shirt quickly follows her and suddenly launches an attack, causing the woman to fall to the ground.
Despite her fear, the woman managed to stand up and escape into an alley, with the suspect pursuing her.
Another video shared on social media shows several passersby attempting to stop the suspect in front of a shop, armed with items like a suitcase, an electric fan, and a soup ladle. Eventually, the suspect is pinned down on the ground.
Courageous father and sons saved the woman despite fear
According to Taiwanese media reports, the courageous individuals were a father and his two adult sons.
The father surnamed Hsu, told the media that they felt fear in their hearts when rescuing the victim.
However, they firmly believed that if they didn’t intervene, the victim would have been killed. Based on this conviction, they risked their lives without hesitation to save her.
However, they believed that if they didn’t help, the victim would have been killed. Based on this conviction, they risked their lives without hesitation to save her.
At the time of the incident, Hsu and his sons happened to be driving by and noticed a woman being attacked while waiting at a red light.
They quickly gathered nearby items to use as weapons: Hsu grabbed a ladle from the car, the older brother took an electric fan, and the younger brother seized the suitcase left behind by the victim.
The two brothers diverted the attention of the assailant, while Hsu used a soup ladle to knock the utility knife out of the suspect’s hand.
With the assistance of another enthusiastic bystander, they successfully subdued the suspect on the ground.
Hsu mentioned that he had seen similar videos on television before and understood the importance of distracting the assailant first and then disarming him when the opportunity arises.
50-year-old suspect under investigation for attempted murder
The 26-year-old victim, identified as Ms. Chiang, stated that she didn’t know the assailant at all and that they had only exchanged a glance at the convenience store.
She never expected to be attacked. Fortunately, she was promptly taken to the hospital, and her life was not in danger.
According to Lee Minghong, director of Yongle Police Station in Taitung, the 50-year-old suspect surnamed Chang followed the victim and attacked her with a utility knife, causing injuries to her neck.
“Chang was immediately subdued by the public and subsequently arrested by the police network of the Yongle Police Station. He is currently under investigation for attempted murder.”
The Taitung Police Bureau stated that besides the weapon used in the crime, a second utility knife was found in the suspect surnamed Zhang’s backpack.
However, due to Chang’s unstable emotions and his refusal to cooperate with the police investigation, the exact motive behind the crime and the relationship between the suspect and the victim are still pending further investigation.
