A man surnamed Yang in Taichung, Taiwan, suspected of being emotionally unstable, went to a snack shop in the East District late at night on the 11th because he was hungry. He asked the staff to 'treat him to a meal,' and after being refused, lost control, threw a kitchen knife around, overturned food on the counter, and even got into a chase and scuffle with dine-in customers. The chaos resulted in injuries to three employees and one customer. Police rushed to the scene and arrested Yang on the spot; he has been sent for prosecution on charges including property damage and assault.
According to United Daily News, the Taichung Third Precinct received a report at around 11 p.m. on the 11th, stating that there was a disturbance in a snack shop at the intersection of Dongying Road and Shijia Road in the East District. Investigation revealed 36-year-old Yang claimed he was hungry and had asked staff if they could treat him to a meal. After being refused, he complained that they lacked empathy and continued verbally harassing the staff.
Yang then returned to the shop, directly grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter and started throwing food around, causing extensive damage to the food counter, leaving bowls, utensils, and food scattered everywhere. His behavior was out of control and only stopped after multiple people managed to subdue him.
Police say they arrived at the scene within four minutes of the report. Preliminary investigation found Yang’s speech was repetitive, and he appeared emotionally unstable, but he was not intoxicated at the time and had ceased violent behavior. Emergency responders determined he did not meet the criteria for mandatory hospitalization, but police have reported the case to health authorities for further evaluation.
Police added that fortunately, the kitchen knife thrown by Yang did not hit anyone, but the struggle resulted in three employees and one customer sustaining minor scrapes and bruises. Yang will be handed over to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office for investigation on charges of property damage, assault, and defamation.