A tense confrontation involving chairs and a walking cane broke out at a coffee shop in Yishun, with several bystanders stepping in to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The incident reportedly took place on Apr. 28 at Block 848 Yishun Street 81 and was later circulated online through a viral TikTok video.
The footage showed an elderly man wearing a singlet and spectacles holding both a chair and a bowl while facing off against a woman dressed in a polka dot shirt, who was also seen picking up a chair during the argument.
Another woman wearing yellow was spotted holding a walking cane and pointing it towards the man during the confrontation.
Bystanders Attempted To Calm Situation
As tensions rose, other patrons at the coffee shop stepped in to calm both parties down.
The video later showed two women attempting to separate those involved and diffuse the argument before it turned more serious.
According to the woman carrying the cane, she had been drinking coffee when the man allegedly approached her and began making offensive remarks.
She reportedly told local Chinese-language media that she did not know what triggered the incident or why she became the target of the man’s comments.
The woman in the polka dot shirt then responded to the man, leading to the heated confrontation captured on video.
Woman Claims She Was Struck By Chair
The woman with the cane alleged that the man later lifted a chair and struck her during the altercation.
She explained that she depended on the cane for mobility and used it to protect herself during the incident.
According to her account, she only realised she had sustained injuries after returning home later that day.
She reportedly discovered abrasions on her left arm and subsequently filed a police report over the matter.
The woman also claimed that the man’s children later apologised to her and advised her not to engage with their father.
Second Alleged Incident Happened The Next Morning
The dispute allegedly did not end there.
The woman claimed that the following morning on Apr. 29, the same man appeared again and allegedly attempted to approach her from behind with another chair.
Several bystanders reportedly intervened before the situation escalated.
One witness said he confronted the man and questioned why he was trying to hit a woman, after which the elderly man allegedly put the chair down.
A stallholder familiar with the area reportedly told reporters that the man had previously been involved in other disputes at the coffee shop.
According to the stall owner, the man would sometimes begin swearing at nearby patrons without warning, which occasionally led to arguments with others in the area.
The viral incident has since sparked discussions online about public behaviour, conflict management and safety at neighbourhood coffee shops in Singapore.