By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Police in Zuoying District (左營區) fired 15 rounds at a fleeing vehicle Tuesday night after a driver refused to stop for inspection, rammed a patrol car, and escaped the scene. The suspect was arrested about five hours later, authorities said.
According to the Renwu Police Precinct (仁武分局), when officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, the driver accelerated and fled. The pursuit continued into Dajhong 1st Road (大中一路), where traffic congestion briefly slowed the suspect’s vehicle. Police attempted to block the car, but the driver reversed and deliberately struck a police vehicle, prompting officers to open fire at the car’s front tires in an effort to stop it. Despite the shots, the vehicle escaped.
A task force involving the Renwu Precinct and the Kaohsiung City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Corps was formed immediately. At around midnight on January 28, police located and arrested a 45-year-old man surnamed Li (李) at a rental residence in Kaohsiung. No weapons or illegal items were found at the scene.
Police said the suspect has a prior history involving drug-related cases. During questioning, Li reportedly told officers he panicked when police tried to stop him and fled because he was not wearing a seat belt.
The case has been referred to prosecutors on suspicion of endangering public safety, obstructing official duties, and property damage, police said.
Some in the media questioned how the vehicle was able to escape despite police use of firearms, but authorities emphasized that officers acted in accordance with standard procedures.
