Man Wielding Machete at Bus Terminal Causes Police to Send Him Home

Police: "Unable to Verify Incident Details Precisely, Voluntary Accompaniment"

A man in his 40s who wielded a weapon at the public bus terminal in Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do, was sent home by the police without any special measures, angering the victim's side.

According to Yonhap News and others, the Goheung Police Station in Jeollanam-do announced on the 31st that they had booked a man in his 40s, Mr. A, without detention on charges of threatening citizens with a weapon (special intimidation). The crime of special intimidation involves threatening people by showing force to a group or multiple people or by carrying a 'dangerous object,' punishable by up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.

A suspect threatening with a weapon standing at a taxi stand [Photo by Yonhap News]

Mr. A is accused of swinging a sickle, a farming tool, at citizens around 5:30 p.m. on the 29th at Nokdong Terminal in Doyang-eup, Goheung-gun. Although no one was injured at the time, the citizens present at the scene were left in fear.

The police, who responded to the report, caught Mr. A as he was leaving the crime scene by taxi. They also confirmed that he was carrying the farming tool suspected to have been used in the crime. Mr. A strongly denied the crime, claiming that he had purchased it for agricultural use.

The police, who arrived without knowing who the perpetrator was, ultimately failed to arrest Mr. A as a suspect caught in the act. Instead, they took him to a nearby police station for voluntary accompaniment, verified his personal information and residence, and then sent him home.

When the police took no special action against Mr. A and sent him home, citizens expressed their anxiety. In particular, Mr. B (16), who was threatened with a weapon by Mr. A on the day of the incident, reported extreme fear after encountering Mr. A again at the same location the next day.

Mr. B said, "While I was talking with my group, Mr. A quietly told us to be quiet, pulled out a weapon, and approached me. Everyone else ran away, and I was left alone facing him one-on-one as he swung the weapon. Fortunately, I escaped without injury, but even now, thinking about it is a chilling moment."

He added, "I naturally thought he would be held at the police station, but I was very surprised to see him on the street the next day. I cannot understand how someone who committed a crime like attempted murder can walk freely on the streets."

Mr. B’s side also filed a complaint with the National Police Agency’s Civil Petition Office, criticizing the police’s inadequate response. Regarding this, the police stated, "We could not accurately verify the details of the incident because we could not contact the reporter at the time, and since we could not identify the perpetrator, we could not detain Mr. A, who voluntarily accompanied us. We will investigate as quickly and accurately as possible."