"Lured to the 'Main Room'... Man Attempting to Murder Police Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Second Trial"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] "I'll come by to check on you. Please don't use drugs again or harm others." (Officer A)

On January 21, Officer A said this while taking Mr. Heo (47, male), who was released from the police station, to his home in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. However, Mr. Heo was thinking, "If the police come again, I will kill them." He harbored resentment against the police after being arrested multiple times for drug use and possession, causing disturbances in a hallucinatory state at his residence, and attempting to break into neighbors' houses.

The next day, Mr. Heo waited for the police under a blanket, carrying three knives. Soon, Officer A and Officer B visited Mr. Heo's house. Mr. Heo, lying on the bed, said, "Please come to the master bedroom. Come this way and have a seat."

The police noticed that Mr. Heo was wearing latex gloves on both hands. He wore them to prevent the knives from slipping from his hands. Just as the police, sensing something suspicious, were about to leave the master bedroom, Mr. Heo got up from the bed and swung the knives, shouting "Die, die." The police sustained injuries requiring 3 to 4 weeks of treatment while subduing Mr. Heo.

The prosecution indicted Mr. Heo on charges including attempted murder, obstruction of official duties causing injury, violation of the Narcotics Control Act (psychotropic substances), and attempted trespassing.

According to the legal community on the 22nd, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6-3 (Presiding Judge Jo Eunrae) recently sentenced Mr. Heo to 10 years in prison for these charges. The court stated, "Considering that the defendant has repeatedly committed drug-related crimes, including two previous prison sentences, the life-threatening danger posed to the victims of the attempted murder in this case, and the lack of forgiveness from the victims, a severe punishment is necessary."

However, the court reduced the sentence by two years compared to the first trial, stating, "The attempted murder appears to stem more from emotional instability due to drug use than from the defendant's violent tendencies. An unfortunate family environment influenced the defendant, leading to the drug offenses in this case, and this influence partly contributed to the crime."