Roxy Square coffee shop altercation: Elderly man, 73, suffers fractured back after getting shoved

The elderly man who was shoved to the ground at a coffee shop along East Coast Road after patting a young girl on the head has suffered a fractured back, according to his family.

Fractured back

Earlier, in an Instagram Story posted on Aug. 17 by Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle, 73-year-old Yeo Song Khoon was shown seated in a wheelchair and wearing a hospital gown.

The post said Yeo, who has been selling wanton noodles at the stall for more than 40 years, had finally agreed to seek medical attention following the incident.

However, he returned to work that same day.

Speaking to 8days, Yeo's family said he was advised to remain in hospital for observation after undergoing a medical check-up on Aug. 16, but declined to stay.

He was required to sign a form acknowledging the risks of leaving the hospital, the family said.

According to his family, Yeo's doctor has advised that spinal surgery would be the best option for his condition.

If Yeo decides against surgery, he will instead require physiotherapy and medication, they added.

The store's Roxy Square outlet was closed on Aug. 18 and 19, and is scheduled to reopen on Aug. 20.

Yeo is expected to return to work on Aug. 21.

What happened

The incident was first shared on Aug. 15 on the Facebook and Instagram pages of Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle.

In CCTV footage, Yeo can be seen walking past a family's table and patting a young girl on the head.

The girl's mother then reached out her hand in an apparent attempt to stop Yeo.

The girl's father, who was wearing a cyan T-shirt, was seen rushing back to the table after noticing the commotion.

He subsequently grabbed Yeo by the arm and swung him around, causing the elderly man to fall to the ground.

Others later helped Yeo up at the coffee shop.

The girl’s father subsequently apologised and offered to buy Yeo a drink, but he declined.

"I don't want to cause any trouble": Yeo

In an interview with 8world, Yeo said he had patted the girl on the head as he found her "very adorable".

"Old people like to pat young children's heads," he said.

Despite the incident, Yeo said he did not want to make a fuss over what happened.

"I don’t really mind, just let him off. It’s okay to just leave it, it’s all right. I don’t want to cause any trouble," he said.

His family has since made a police report.

Yeo, who was already experiencing an injured leg and difficulty walking, said he began experiencing back pain about two to three hours after the fall.

However, the pain was eased by painkillers, allowing him to return to work.

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