Post Office Driver Killed; Suspect Waved Knife 3 Hours Earlier, Manager Reported but Tragedy Still Occurred

(Central News Agency, reporter Guan Ruiping, Miaoli County, June 5) The Miaoli Zhunan Post Office murder case, where a contracted driver was killed, saw Police Chief Li Zhongping present the timeline of events during a legislative interpellation on June 5. The suspect, surnamed Liu, had waved a kitchen knife at the post office entrance around noon, but the tragic incident occurred approximately three hours later.

The incident occurred at approximately 4:30 PM on June 4. Liu, a 36-year-old man living opposite the Zhunan Post Office, allegedly harbored long-term resentment over noise from the post office's loading and unloading operations. He attacked 61-year-old Yang, a contracted driver, with a kitchen knife. Yang was stabbed multiple times and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Police arrived at the scene and arrested Liu immediately.

Miaoli County Councilor Weng Jie (DPP) led a 10-second moment of silence with all officials present during the interpellation. Weng noted that the crime scene, Zhunan Post Office, is only about a minute's walk from the Zhunan Police Precinct. He questioned why the tragedy could not be prevented despite the suspect waving a knife three hours prior, demanding a detailed timeline of police response.

Chief Li stated that around noon, the suspect waved a kitchen knife in front of the post office for only a few seconds. No member of the public reported the incident, and police received no calls. However, the Zhunan Post Office manager sensed the anomaly and reported it internally to the Miaoli Post Office headquarters at 1:30 PM.

Li explained that around 3:00 PM, the post office manager went to the police precinct to express his intention to file a complaint. After police explained the legal requirements, the manager decided to return to the post office to consult with superiors. Police then visited the suspect's home, asking his father to come to the precinct for questioning, hoping to arrange for the suspect to receive medical evaluation to prevent another emotional outburst, but the family was reluctant.

Li noted that while communicating with the suspect's family, the post office manager returned to the precinct at 3:50 PM to formally file the complaint. While police were preparing the report, they also contacted health authorities to assess the possibility of initiating involuntary hospitalization. However, at 4:27 PM, the suspect attacked the victim with a kitchen knife at the post office. Police responded immediately, arrested the suspect, and cordoned off the scene for forensic investigation.

Councilor Weng argued that public agencies should seek police assistance directly in high-risk situations without going through layers of reporting, suggesting that timely intervention could have prevented the tragedy.

Additionally, Miaoli County Health Bureau Director Yang Wenzhi pointed out that the suspect was not on any police watchlist, was not a drug user, and was not a mental health patient. He stated that 95% of violent acts stem from emotional dysregulation among the general population, with only about 5% involving mental health patients lacking proper care. He urged the public not to automatically associate violent incidents with mental illness. (Editor: Chen Renhua) 1150605