A Singaporean singer based in Taiwan was at a temple event when he noticed a man wearing a smiling theatrical mask behaving suspiciously and holding “something shiny” in his hand.
Fearful that the man might harm others, Willis Loye said he and his friends gave chase and helped subdue the suspect, who was later discovered to be carrying two knives.
The 43-year-old told AsiaOne that the incident occurred in the city of Taichung last Saturday (April 18) night.
According to him, the masked man was standing at the side of the performance stage and had waved to the 100-strong crowd, where several children were present.
The Singaporean had just finished his performance and was watching with the crowd when he saw an unusual glint of light and suspected the man might be armed.
When asked about his identity, he did not answer and immediately turned tail, prompting Loye and his friends to give chase.
The performer, who has lived in Taiwan for five years, said he had hesitated for a moment, but an incident in December 2025 when a knife-wielding man had fatally attacked three people at Taipei’s main train station spurred him into action.
“We chased him to an open car park area,” he recounted, estimating the distance to be about 350 metres.
Man restrained before police arrived
CCTV footage shared with AsiaOne shows the masked man walking along a street and pulling up his hoodie. Following behind are Loye, who is holding a wooden stick he had picked up along the way for safety reasons, and a friend.
Loye said he and his friend apprehended the man shortly afterwards.
“My friend tried to put him in a headlock from behind, and I hit him on the back with the stick,” he added, emphasising that he avoided the man’s head.
Though the man continuously struggled, the duo managed to pin him to the ground by sitting on him.
“He was crying and shouting, saying not to remove the mask and not to call the police,” Loye said.
A car driver who had stopped because of the commotion called the police at Loye’s urging, and two other friends who followed from the temple also arrived.
The Singaporean told AsiaOne that a police officer found that the man was carrying a short knife.
As the arrest was ongoing, a policewoman and his friend each sustained a minor cut on their hands from a second, concealed knife.
Videos filmed by Loye show two people and three police officers restraining the man, who is shouting incoherently.
“Be careful of your hands!” a person warns.
“There’s a knife in his hand,” the policewoman replies.
According to Taiwan media, the suspect is a 17-year-old teenager with a disability.
The police said in a statement that two knives were found on the teen, but he had not brandished them during the incident.
Asked if he had any advice for Singaporean travellers in Taiwan, Loye reminded tourists to be aware of their surroundings, though he cautioned against intervening in such incidents.
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