Caught in 50s for Arson and Assaulting Police Officer Immediately After Release

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] A man in his 50s who assaulted police officers dispatched after receiving a report of "lighting a fire" in a public facility was arrested by the police. It is known that this man was released from prison just one day before the incident.

The Gwangju Bukbu Police Station announced on the 29th that they have detained and are investigating Mr. A on charges including obstruction of official duties.

Mr. A set fire to trash in a public restroom at a small park near Chonnam National University in Buk-gu, Gwangju, at around 6:50 a.m. the previous day.

A passerby nearby witnessed this and reported to 119, saying "Someone is lighting a fire in the restroom."

Firefighters who arrived on the scene extinguished the fire.

When the police tried to stop Mr. A, who was attempting to flee, he verbally abused and pushed the police officers and firefighters, assaulting them.

It is presumed that Mr. A, who was released from prison the day before and had been homeless, lit the fire as the temperature dropped in the early morning. He is understood to have committed this crime during his probation period for a similar offense.

In the police investigation, Mr. A stated, "I lit the fire because there was a bad smell coming from the restroom trash."

The police plan to apply for an arrest warrant after investigating the detailed circumstances of the incident.