SINGAPORE: A man was charged on Wednesday (March 16) for swinging a sword at pedestrians and crashing into passing vehicles on Buangkok Crescent.
Fadhil Yusop, a 37-year-old Singaporean, was charged with voluntarily causing harm using a “katana sword” at the Plaza des Nations shopping mall at around 1.58pm on Monday.
He is charged with slashing Mr. Kumarapeli Arachchige Amila Chinthana three times, resulting in one slash on the victim’s left arm and two cuts on his left shoulder.
Fadhil appeared in court via a video link while on remand with a cast on his left arm. He was in a wheelchair but stood up as the charges were read to him by a court interpreter. Later, when the judge mentioned his case, he limped in.
A judge ordered him on remand for three weeks at the medical centre at the Changi Prison Complex for psychiatric observation. He will return to court on April 6.
If convicted, he could be jailed for up to seven years, fined, whipped or any combination of these penalties.
The incident on Monday afternoon went viral online after video of the incident went viral on social media.
Police said on Monday they received multiple calls about 2pm about a man brandishing a sword and blocking oncoming traffic in the middle of Buangkok Crescent.
After a “brief altercation” with the public in the elevator lobby of his residential complex, Fadhil jaywalked across the road and allegedly struck five passing cars with his sword.
At a traffic intersection in front of the Plaza des Nations shopping mall, he allegedly swung a sword at another man.
Citizens stepped forward to help stop the accused until police arrived and arrested him.
One man was taken to hospital with two superficial stab wounds to his left arm, and another man suffered a bruise to his left knee.
Police then raided Fadir’s home and seized two packets of “yellow pills”.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had taken some unidentified pills before leaving the home,” police said.
No hint of terrorism: ISD
On Tuesday night, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said Fadir allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the incident and was cooperating with police to investigate the incident.
“It is believed that Fadir acted alone and preliminary investigations to date have not indicated that the incident was an act of terrorism,” the department said.
The ISD said it had investigated Fadhil in 2016 for sharing photos of militant groups online, but there was “no indication that he was radicalized or intended to be involved in armed violence”. His social media posts received written warnings.
In January 2020, Fadhil was arrested after approaching the imam of Masjid Al-Mawaddah with a knife. The ISD said a joint investigation with police at the time did not indicate that the attack was terrorism-related.
The ISD said he was found to have taken a large number of tablets containing dextromethorphan, which led to his behavior.
He was sentenced to nine months and two weeks in prison and was released in July 2020 after his sentence was backdated.
“While Fadhil was assessed as not being radicalised, as a precautionary measure, following the second incident, he was referred for religious counselling,” the ISD said.
Police also said Fadhil was previously remanded at the Mental Health Institute and diagnosed with a substance use disorder.
On Tuesday, six members of the public who helped restrain the defendants received public spirit awards.
They included the man Fadhil allegedly swung his sword at and a Temasek Polytechnic student who passed by during the incident.
