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The Singapore police have put out a statement to refute a video post circulating online, where the attending officers were accused of manhandling a woman at Ang Mo Kio Hub.
"Allegations are categorically untrue"
In a news release on Dec, 23, the police said the allegations in the post "are categorically untrue".
According to the police, the officers in the footage were responding to an incident at 9:19am on Dec. 22, where a a 55-year-old woman had repeatedly refused to put on a mask in a public place.
The officers were informed upon arrival that the woman had allegedly refused to wear a mask when she was in the supermarket despite the repeated reminders by the supermarket staff.
The police said the woman continued to refuse to wear a mask, and was reportedly shouting in the supermarket.
Woman continuously refused to wear mask
The attending officers subsequently spotted the woman at the B4 berth of Ang Mo Kio bus interchange, where they advised her to wear a mask and even offered her a mask to wear.
However, the police said the woman refused to comply, rejected the mask, and spoke to the attending officers in a hostile manner.
She then started to shout loudly, and attempted to walk away.
Officers arrest woman
After engaging with the woman for over 15 minutes, the attending officers arrested her as her conduct posed a risk to herself, and to public health, said the police.
From the video, a total of four police officers were at the scene surrounding the woman, three of whom were male and one was female.
The officers supported the woman to the ground at one point during the arrest, as she was resisting arrest and appeared to want to sit down.
In the video, the woman can be heard shouting incoherently, and at one point could be heard shouting for help.
Concurrently, one of the attending male officers can be heard asking the woman on the ground to "calm down". This was followed by what was seemingly a response to the woman when the officer said: "We are here to help you."
She was later referred to the Institute of Mental Health for assessment, the police said.
Authorities looking into the "circulation of the falsehood"
The police reminded the public to comply with prevailing safe management measures such as wearing their masks in public.
Additionally, the police urged the public to be responsible when posting or sharing any information online, and not spread unverified information or misrepresentations on any incident.
The police said it takes a serious view of such malicious and false allegations, and the authorities are looking into the circulation of the falsehood.
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