Woman, 49, apprehended after 2-hour standoff with police in Bukit Panjang HDB flat

A 49-year-old woman was apprehended after a two-hour standoff with police at her Bukit Panjang HDB flat on Tuesday (July 21).

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at about 3.15pm at Block 207 Petir Road.

Upon arrival, officers found that the woman had locked herself in her residential unit and might pose a danger to herself.

The police's Special Operations Command (SOC) and Crisis Negotiation Unit, along with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), were deployed to the scene.

Officers managed to gain entry into the unit at about 5.30pm.

The woman was subsequently apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to Woodlands Hospital.

SCDF told AsiaOne it deployed two life safety air packs as a precautionary measure. Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team officers also descended by rope from a unit above.

Neighbour says woman visited night before incident

According to Shin Min Daily News, more than 20 police officers gathered along the second-floor corridor during the operation. 

Four police cars, an ambulance, three fire engines and two SOC vehicles were also seen at the scene.

A neighbour, identified only as Xiao (transliterated), 66, told Shin Min that the woman had been living in the unit with her husband for the past six or seven years.

According to Xiao, the husband works in an administrative role, while the woman previously worked in the IT industry but is no longer employed.

She added that she and the woman were on good terms and often visited each other's homes. The woman had even dropped by the night before the incident, when Xiao told her that her granddaughter was ill.

"I never expected the police to show up at my door the next afternoon," she told Shin Min. "I kept calling her but she didn't answer, so I left her a voicemail asking what had happened."

Under the Mental Health Act, police officers are required to apprehend any person who is believed to be a danger to themself or others, and take the person to a medical practitioner for an examination.

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