American Greg Austin Lynn, aged 54, found himself at the center of attention after a video surfaced showing him spewing profanities at the staff of Shashlik Restaurant at Far East Shopping Centre.

He was charged in court earlier today, facing 2 counts of intentionally harassing the staff members, one count of using criminal force and another count of refusing to sign a police statement at Tanglin Police Division.

Shashlik Restaurant

The fateful incident took place at Shashlik Restaurant on June 20. As per reports, Lynn’s behavior was aggressive and intentionally harassing towards the staff members. This led to two counts of charges being filed against him for intentionally harassing the staff.

In addition to the charges of harassment, Lynn also faced one count of using criminal force. It is alleged that he physically pushed one of the restaurant’s staff members during the heated confrontation.

Following the incident, Lynn was taken to the Tanglin Police Division Headquarters for questioning. However, he refused to sign the police statement, resulting in another charge against him.

Upon appearing in court, Lynn stated that he would contest all four charges brought against him and declared that he would represent himself in court instead of engaging a legal counsel.

Following his initial court appearance, Lynn’s case has been scheduled for another hearing on August 11. This upcoming session will likely delve deeper into the incident and hear arguments from both sides.

Recap

In a recent incident at Shashlik Restaurant, a Caucasian man unleashed a profanity-laden tirade at the staff, threatening to close down the establishment.

This display of anger and racial slurs disrupted the peaceful atmosphere of the restaurant and left many patrons in disbelief.

The incident, captured on video by a concerned diner, depicted a Caucasian man directing his anger towards a male staff member who was dressed in a black polo shirt.

The man resorted to a barrage of profanities, spewing insults and threats in a loud and disturbing manner. The video, recorded from a nearby table, captured his vehement outburst.

The man’s aggressive behavior escalated as he approached the male staff member, coming face-to-face while continuing his verbal assault.

He was heard in the video screaming at the staff, saying: “I will drop every f-ing last one of you, now f- off and back the f- off! I will close your establishment down and I will f- every family member you’ve ever got from here to china you little b- because I own China too, f- you!

The sheer volume of his shouts reverberated through the restaurant, reaching the ears of patrons at nearby tables. The intense confrontation disrupted the otherwise calm environment of the establishment.

Amidst the chaos, a woman, presumably another staff member, intervened in an effort to defuse the escalating tension between the two men as she tried to calm the enraged customer and bring the situation under control.

According to a witness who captured the incident, the altercation occurred between 9:15pm and 9:20pm. It was speculated that the customer’s anger stemmed from arriving at the restaurant after the last order time, as indicated on Shashlik Restaurant’s website, which is 9:00pm.

The witness, who condemned the customer’s behavior, noted the excessive use of profanity and the presence of racially charged remarks.

The other customers within the restaurant attempted to calm the furious man. Witness accounts confirm that several patrons stood up and requested the customer to compose himself.

Despite their efforts, the man continued his disruptive behavior from a corner table near the entrance. Another customer took it upon themselves to engage in a conversation with the agitated individual, striving to alleviate the situation.

In a heart-wrenching incident, a 14-year-old boy lost his life after being hit by a BMW driven by Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran in Punggol on Oct. 10, 2022, around 11.35 am, at a pedestrian crossing along Sumang Walk towards Sumang Link.

He was charged with dangerous driving causing the death of 14-year-old Adriel Choo.

The Accident

Adriel Choo, a Secondary 2 student, was crossing the road at the pedestrian crossing while the green man signal was showing, indicating it was safe to proceed.

Unfortunately, at that very moment, Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran allegedly ran a red light and collided with the young boy. The impact of the collision caused severe injuries to Adriel, rendering him unconscious.

Immediately after the accident, Adriel was rushed to the hospital for medical attention. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, his injuries were critical, and he succumbed to his injuries three weeks later, marking a tragic end to a young life.

Legal Proceedings

Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran now faces serious legal consequences for his alleged dangerous driving. According to court records, he intends to engage legal counsel to represent him in the case. His court hearing has been adjourned to Aug. 22, 2023.

The charges against Firhan are related to dangerous driving causing death. If found guilty, he could face imprisonment for a period ranging from two to eight years. Furthermore, he may also be disqualified from driving, highlighting the gravity of the offense.

Recap

A BMW had allegedly beat a red light at Sumang Walk in Punggol and ran over a 14-year-old schoolboy on 10 October at about 11.20am.

The netizen who posted videos of the aftermath, Vicknkesh Saravanan, shared that he and his wife got down to check on the victim after the accident and a lady who was with the boy, recounted what happened.

The boy was apparently crossing the road when the traffic light was green and signalling for pedestrians to cross when the errant BMW hit him.

The boy hit the car’s windscreen and fell onto the road.

The boy subsequently died from his injuries and the police also said that the driver had been arrested for dangerous driving causing hurt.

In February 2022, the incident involving Soo Cheow Wee, a 50-year-old man shot by the police in Clementi, shocked the nation.

Recently, his jail term was reduced from 33 months to 27 months after a successful appeal.

The event unfolded when Soo Cheow Wee charged at the police with a knife, leading to the use of lethal force by the officers. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 33 months in jail by the district judge.

Appeals from Prosecution and Defense

Both the prosecution and Soo’s lawyer, Chooi Jing Yen, filed appeals against the initial sentence, each seeking different outcomes. The prosecution urged for at least five years of corrective training or between 57 and 63 months of imprisonment. On the other hand, Soo’s defense counsel asked for a reduction to not more than 23 months in jail.

On Jul. 31, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon delivered the verdict, reducing Soo’s sentence following the appeal. The High Court found that the district judge had not adequately considered Soo’s mental conditions while imposing the original jail term.

Soo’s Mental Conditions

Reports from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) revealed that Soo Cheow Wee suffered from three mental conditions: schizophrenia, polysubstance dependence, and psychosis. These conditions significantly impacted his mental state and behavior.

Psychosis is described as a state in which a person loses touch with reality, experiencing disturbances in perception and judgment. It is not a specific illness but a syndrome that affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, communication, and behavior.

According to the reports, Soo’s psychosis was believed to be triggered by his use of drugs and other substances that exacerbated his mental health issues.

Recap

Soo was accused of slashing a 41 year old man who is a stranger to him along Block 402A Clementi Avenue 1 on 17 Feb at around 8:40pm.

He then took a taxi to Clementi Police Division and charged forward with the intention of attacking a 20 year old man with a knife.

Despite repeated attempts at getting him to drop the weapon, Soo refused and charged at an officer with the knife in his hand.

The officer then opened fire at Soo, hitting him on his left arm.

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The Police have observed the resurgence of social media impersonation scams involving fake campaigns. From 1 January to 26 July 2023, at least 124 victims have fallen prey to this variant, with total losses amounting to at least $330,000.

The scam works in the following ways:

1. Victims are approached on social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook on the pretext of joining, or voting in fake campaigns allegedly organised by local brands (e.g. Lazada, Grab, Shopee). Unknown to the victims, these social media accounts have either been taken over by scammers or were spoofed by culprits impersonating as victims’ relatives or friends.
   
2. The scammers would then ask victims for their phone numbers and/or One-Time Passwords (OTPs) sent out from various platforms (e.g. Microsoft, Grab, Google) in order to receive gift vouchers or monies “won” from the “campaign”.
   
3. The OTPs provided by the victims would be abused by the scammers to approve transactions from the victims’ linked bank accounts/cards to e-wallets (e.g. Grab Activation Code). Victims may also lose access to their Instagram/Facebook accounts after giving away OTPs that were meant to reset their account passwords.
   
4. In some variants, victims may lose access to their Instagram/Facebook accounts after clicking on links that were meant to reset their account passwords or to change the email addresses linked to their accounts.

Apart from requests for phone numbers and OTPs, victims may be asked for their debit/credit card details, internet banking credentials and/or OTPs on the pretext of receiving gift vouchers or monies “won” from the “campaign”. Victims would receive a link leading them to a website fraudulently bearing the DBS logo which would be used to phish for their banking credentials. Victims would later discover unauthorised transactions made to their banking accounts and/or unauthorised charges made to their handphone bills.

The Police would also like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:

1. ADD – ScamShield App and set security features (e.g., enable two-factor (2FA) or multifactor authentication for banks, social media, Singpass accounts; set transaction limits on internet banking transactions, including PayNow/PayLah).
   
2. CHECK – for scam signs with official sources (e.g., visit www.scamalert.sg, call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688 or check with the platforms on the authenticity of the campaigns). Be wary of unexpected requests or offers from social media contacts, especially those related to campaigns or contests. Never disclose your personal details, banking credentials and OTPs to anyone.
   
3. TELL – authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank and telecommunications company immediately. If your social media account has been compromised, report this to the platform and inform your friends so that they do not fall prey to scammers who may use your social media account to impersonate you.

If you have any information relating to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community.

The Police have arrested a 52-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of voluntarily causing hurt in the vicinity of Orchard MRT.

On 26 July 2023 at about 4.50pm, the Police were alerted to a case of assault at the concourse of Orchard MRT. One victim complained of being allegedly assaulted on the head, while the other reported being allegedly punched on the right arm. Both victims did not know the assailant and had reported the matter to the Police on the same day.

Through extensive ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras and CCTVs, Police officers from Tanglin Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 1 August 2023.

The man will be charged in court on 3 August 2023 with public nuisance under Section 290 of the Penal Code 1871 and voluntarily causing hurt under Section 323 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence of public nuisance carries an imprisonment term of up to three months, a fine of up to $2,000, or both. The offence of voluntarily causing hurt carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

The Police will spare no effort to track down those who commit such brazen acts of violence and will take firm action against them in accordance with the law.