Ansan Police Use Tasers to Subdue Man Wielding Bread Knife Near Seonbu Station
An Ansan, South Korea, a man in his 40s identified as A pulled a driver out of a parked sedan near Seonbu Station in Danwon District and repeatedly assaulted him, according to police.
After the initial beating, bystanders intervened, and A then returned with a 21-centimeter stainless bread knife, brandishing it near a nearby cafe and threatening passersby.
The victim, referred to as B, reported the attack to police. Officers dispatched under an urgent alert arrived at the scene within about two minutes, with roughly 10 officers equipped with Tasers and batons engaging A.
A, said to be about 190 centimeters tall, refused five commands to drop the weapon. The first Taser stun did not incapacitate him, but police then deployed a second Taser along with baton and a large shield, and four officers tackled him. The confrontation lasted about 12 minutes from arrival to restraint.
B sustained minor injuries and was treated at a hospital. No other injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
A has an intellectual disability and had recently been hospitalized with his mother after a traffic accident; police say he left the hospital to get some air when the attack occurred. Police plan to apply for a detention warrant after completing their investigation.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency released video of the incident showing the sequence of events and the officers’ response. The case is under investigation, with authorities examining the motive and details of the assault.
Context for international readers: Ansan is a city in Gyeonggi Province, part of the Seoul metropolitan area. The Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency serves the southern portion of the province. The incident highlights how urban policing handles sudden violent threats, the use of force in high-risk encounters, and considerations around mental health in public-safety responses that are relevant to policing discussions in the United States and other democratic systems.