Incident Highlights Recklessness of Fleeing Suspect
Heng Yong Qin, a 32-year-old man with a history of convictions, found himself in a predicament as he faced potential re-arrest for breaching his remission order. On the morning of March 27, 2021, around 7:30 AM, Heng panicked when a police officer stopped him on the Central Expressway (CTE) for driving without a seatbelt. He was already wanted by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for failing to report for a urine test.
In a desperate attempt to evade capture, Heng drove off while a Senior Staff Sergeant clung to the steering wheel with one hand and held onto Heng’s arm with the other. The officer was dragged for 75 meters before losing his grip and being thrown from the vehicle. Disturbing video footage captured the moment the officer fell to the ground, where he narrowly escaped being struck by an oncoming truck.
A nearby motorcycle officer rushed to help, but it was reported by Yahoo! News that the injured policeman remained motionless on his back for approximately 20 minutes. He sustained injuries to his neck, spine, right forearm, knee, and left hand.
Despite being aware that the officer had fallen, Heng continued to flee the scene. He abandoned his car outside Hong Wen Primary School and took a taxi to a cousin’s house, where he was later apprehended by the police.
On March 8, Heng pleaded guilty to several charges: intentionally causing harm to prevent a public servant from fulfilling his duties, using methamphetamine, and violating his curfew under his remission order. He received a prison sentence of six years and 36 days, along with three strokes of the cane, and will serve an additional 44 days for the offense committed while under the remission order.
Heng has prior convictions for drug-related offenses in 2010 and 2018. Notably, just days before the incident, on March 22, he had consumed methamphetamine. He had been under a remission order from July 11, 2020, to May 9, 2021, which required him to remain indoors during certain nighttime hours following his employment as a delivery driver.
Heng explained that he did not return home during his remission period due to substantial gambling debts amounting to $15,000, as he wanted to protect his mother from harassment by loan collectors and chose to stay with his girlfriend instead.
