Certis Cisco officer suspended for kicking speeding e-scooter rider
Police also investigating officer, whose side kick sends e-scooter rider tumbling onto pavement
An auxiliary police officer (APO) has been suspended from duty after he was caught on video kicking a speeding e-scooter rider, sending him tumbling onto the pavement.
The officer was with a team of Certis Cisco APOs and Land Transport Authority (LTA) Active Mobility Enforcement Officers on enforcement duties in Bedok Reservoir Road when the incident occurred on Tuesday evening.
It was captured by a vehicle dash-cam and posted on Facebook community page SG Road Vigilante.
In the video, the officer is seen running across a pedestrian crossing to the other side of the road, where he side kicks the rider as he speeds towards a red traffic light.
The clip has sparked controversy online, with the majority of netizens hailing the officer's action as the rider was posing a danger to himself and others.
One Facebook user wrote: "He will cause an accident sooner or later given his intent to beat the red light and speeding."
But others criticised the officer's use of force, which could have injured the rider, who is understood to be a 20-year-old man.
The LTA, which had contracted Certis Cisco to carry out enforcement duties, said in a statement yesterday that it is investigating the incident together with Certis Cisco and the police.
Its spokesman said: "LTA does not condone any behaviour that deviates from the established rules of engagement."
The LTA also said it is investigating offences committed by the rider, which include riding an unregistered and non-compliant personal mobility device (PMD) on public roads and failing to stop his device when required by an officer.
ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT
The e-scooter, which weighs more than 10kg above the legal limit of 20kg, has been impounded. E-scooters are not allowed on roads and were also banned on public footpaths last month.
Certis Cisco said in a statement that the officers had encountered a PMD user who endangered public safety by riding on the road at high speed at 6.40pm on Tuesday. When he ignored repeated instructions to stop, a Certis Cisco officer resorted to kicking his device.
"The rider suffered abrasions on his right elbow and right knee and received medical attention from paramedics at the scene," the statement added.
"The officer was also injured and was treated at the site before heading to the hospital for further medical assistance."
The Singapore Civil Defence Force told TNP that a person was taken to Changi General Hospital.
Certis Cisco said that its enforcement protocols require officers to note down the appearance of the escaping PMD user and lodge a report with LTA.
Noting its zero-tolerance policy against rash acts, it said the officer has been suspended from active duties and a disciplinary inquiry will be conducted.
Mr Denis Koh, chairman of PMD community group Big Wheel Scooters Singapore, who also sits on the Active Mobility Advisory Panel, told TNP that while officers face situations where they need to make split-second decisions, they also need to follow protocol.
Without condoning the officer's action, Mr Koh said it is important to consider the circumstances that led to the incident.
Lawyer Ravinderpal Singh said: "If the officer was trying to arrest the rider, he is allowed to use 'reasonable force'. It also depends whether the rider was a danger to himself or others."
Another lawyer, Mr Cory Wong, told TNP that based on the footage, the officer could face charges such as committing a rash act. The charges could be more severe if the rider was injured.
Stressing that criminal law applies to everyone, Mr Wong said: "There is no blanket immunity regardless of whether you are in uniform, or doing something in the line of duty."
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