The Singapore Police Force shared a story about one of their police officers on 25 September, recounting an incident that happened earlier this year when he subdued a knife wielding man while being off duty.
In a display of remarkable courage and quick thinking, Senior Staff Sergeant Sha’ari, while on his way to drop off his family at a carpark after a day of Hari Raya visiting, prevented a potential crisis by disarming a man wielding a knife.
The incident unfolded on the 23rd of April, 2023, when Senior Staff Sergeant Sha’ari noticed something amiss as he approached the shelter of the drop-off point. He saw an individual standing there, appearing disoriented and holding a sharp, curved object that was later identified as a knife.
Describing the tense situation, Senior Staff Sergeant Sha’ari said, “He looked like he was in a daze. I sensed that the situation could potentially become dangerous. I asked my family to stay inside the car. My mother grew worried and tried to stop me from approaching the man. But if I let this pass, who knows what could happen next?”
As he cautiously approached the man, it became clear that the individual was indeed holding a knife and was unresponsive to Senior Staff Sergeant Sha’ari’s inquiries. Without hesitation, he firmly held the man’s hand and instructed him to let go of the weapon.
After some skillful counseling and persuasion, the man eventually dropped the knife. Other police officers quickly arrived on the scene, taking control of the situation from there. Senior Staff Sergeant Sha’ari’s family, particularly his mother, was understandably shaken by the ordeal.
Reflecting on the incident, Senior Staff Sergeant Sha’ari said, “Back home, my son asked me why I did what I did. I answered, if I didn’t stop him, who will?”
Singapore Police Force’s Facebook post
“𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻!” – 𝗦𝗦𝗦 𝗦𝗵𝗮’𝗮𝗿𝗶’𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳-𝗱𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗰𝘀
On 23rd April 2023, as Senior Staff Sergeant Sha’ari was about to drop his family off at the carpark after a day of Hari Raya visiting, he spotted something amiss. He saw a man standing near the shelter of the drop off point holding what seemed to be a sharp, curved object.
“He looked like he was in a daze. I sensed that the situation could potentially become dangerous. I asked my family to stay inside the car. My mother grew worried and tried to stop me from approaching the man. But if I let this pass, who knows what could happen next? When I walked nearer, it became clear that he was holding a knife. He didn’t seem to respond to my questions when I spoke to him. I then firmly held his hand and instructed him to let go of the knife. After some counselling and convincing, he dropped the weapon. Other officers soon arrived, and they took over from there. My mother was so worried that she couldn’t sleep afterwards (laughs).
Back home, my son asked me why I did what I did. I answered, if I didn’t stop him, who will?”