As the Elevator Door Opened, a Man Holding a Baseball Bat... Police Subdue Him with a Taser Gun

Threatening Apartment Residents and Property Damage While Drunk
Arrest Footage Released on National Police Agency YouTube Channel

A man in his 20s was arrested by the police for threatening multiple residents by swinging a baseball bat while standing in front of an elevator door in a drunken state.

On the 12th, the National Police Agency's YouTube channel uploaded a video titled "The 'Terrifying Baseball Bat' That Appears When the Elevator Opens." The 1 minute and 2 seconds long video has a caption "Actual Situation" in the top left corner. The video, presumed to be recorded by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) inside the elevator, begins with two residents riding inside the elevator. Shortly after, when the door opens, a man identified as Mr. A, standing outside the elevator wearing a black sleeveless shirt, raises a baseball bat with both hands. Startled by the unexpected situation, the residents hurriedly pressed the elevator close button and narrowly escaped the danger by closing the elevator door.

A man in his 20s, Mr. A, is threatening a police officer while holding a baseball bat.
[Image source=Captured from the National Police Agency YouTube channel]

Soon after, the police arrived following a report. Before the police arrived, dangerous situations occurred in the apartment, such as broken glass falling from windows, posing a risk of injury. When the elevator door opened with police officers inside, Mr. A was again standing in front of the door holding the baseball bat in the same threatening manner as before. Even upon seeing the police officers, Mr. A maintained his threatening posture. The officers hesitated momentarily upon seeing Mr. A but quickly subdued him by firing a Taser. The hallway of the apartment, as seen after subduing Mr. A, was in chaos with shattered glass fragments scattered around. It was reported that Mr. A was heavily intoxicated at the time.

The post received 230 comments within a day.

Most netizens praised the police officers for calmly subduing Mr. A, but many comments also expressed concern about the frequent occurrence of such "random crimes." They commented, "They handled it calmly and well. Safety is the most important everywhere and anytime," "If he had swung the baseball bat, the police officer on the front right could have been seriously injured," "This kind of situation requires responding with live ammunition... police lives are precious too," "Legal amendments are urgently needed to allow for stronger punishments," and "He will come back again, so what about the neighbors and families if he keeps getting released?"

Meanwhile, on the 13th, Yonhap News reported that the Daegu Seongseo Police Station booked Mr. A, a man in his 20s, without detention on charges of threatening residents and police officers by pretending to swing a baseball bat in the apartment hallway while intoxicated (including special obstruction of official duties) and handed the case over to the prosecution. Mr. A is accused of threatening a neighbor by pretending to swing a baseball bat in the hallway of an apartment in Dalseo-gu, Daegu, where he resides, around 1 p.m. on April 13. He is also charged with partially damaging fire prevention equipment in the hallway. During the police investigation, Mr. A stated, "I do not remember what actions I took because I was drunk."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.