Incident in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon in January This Year
"Drunken Man Threatens Pedestrians," Report Received
An incident in which a drunk person was arrested in the elevator of his own home on charges of assaulting a police officer who was helping him get home (obstruction of official duties) has become a subject of interest.
According to the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency on the 2nd, the incident occurred at 11 p.m. on January 1, New Year's Day, in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon Province.
At the time, the police responded to a report that "an intoxicated man was threatening pedestrians" and witnessed the intoxicated individual, Mr. A, verbally abusing a passerby. Mr. A was so drunk that he could barely stand.
An intoxicated person assaulting a police officer who was escorting them home [Photo by Gangwon Police Agency YouTube]
The police separated Mr. A from the pedestrian and escorted him home. Four officers were deployed for this task.
Upon arriving at his home, Mr. A refused to go inside the elevator, verbally abused the officers, and pushed them. When the police grabbed Mr. A's arm to restrain him, he bumped into an officer's face, as captured on video. The officer was seen holding one side of his face in pain.
After a prolonged struggle with the police in the home elevator, Mr. A was ultimately arrested for obstruction of official duties. This crime, which involves assaulting or threatening a public official performing their duties, can result in up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won if convicted.
The CCTV footage of the incident was released on the Gangwon Police YouTube channel. Netizens who viewed the video commented, "They were just helping him get home, why hit the police officer's face?" and "They saved him from freezing to death, and this is how he repays them?with assault."
Meanwhile, the Police Duties Execution Act states that "police officers must protect individuals who are intoxicated and pose a risk to their own or others' lives." However, there are no specific regulations or guidelines detailing the extent of protective measures that must be taken.
Last month, the Seoul Northern District Court fined two police officers 5 million won and 3 million won respectively for professional negligence resulting in death in a case where a drunk person was left outdoors and died of hypothermia in November 2022. The officers were penalized because they did not escort the intoxicated person inside his home, and he ultimately died in front of his house. In response, the officers questioned, "To what extent must we escort someone to avoid professional negligence resulting in death?"
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