Man with Brain Hemorrhage Vomits, Suspected of Drunk Driving; Delay in Medical Treatment Sparks Investigation by Taipei Police
A man suffering a brain hemorrhage in Taipei was detained for 4 hours by police who suspected him of drunk driving, delaying medical care. The family accuses the police of negligence, while the precinct defends its procedures but has referred the case to prosecutors.
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- 📰 Published: April 20, 2026 at 12:43
- 🔍 Collected: April 20, 2026 at 13:00 (17 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 13:29 (29 min after Collected)
Mirror Media reported today that in January, a man surnamed Tu felt unwell while riding his scooter home and stopped on the roadside in Ximending, Taipei, to vomit. Police arrived after receiving a report and suspected him of drunk driving. Despite a breathalyzer test result of zero, the police believed the data was inaccurate and demanded a re-test. However, Tu was slipping out of consciousness and unable to blow into the device. The police, deeming him uncooperative, forcibly took him back to the station for questioning, delaying for 4 hours before finally handcuffing him and sending him to the hospital.
The report stated that hospital examinations confirmed Tu's condition was caused by a stroke and brain hemorrhage. An emergency craniotomy saved his life, but he was left with sequelae such as cognitive confusion, requiring long-term rehabilitation. His pregnant wife found this unacceptable and fiercely criticized the police for delaying his medical treatment.
The Wanhua Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department held a press conference this morning to provide an explanation. Inspector Lin Sheng-wei stated that officers from the Ximending Police Station received a 110 dispatch at around 1:09 PM on January 15, reporting a person who had collapsed on the road near Xining South Road within their jurisdiction. Police and fire department paramedics quickly arrived at the scene.
Upon arrival, police and paramedics found a man sitting by the roadside, vomiting, with suspected signs of drunk driving. After the paramedics tested and evaluated that the man was not a critical case and noted a suspected smell of alcohol on him, he was not sent to the hospital, with the agreement of his family members present.
Because the officers could not complete the breathalyzer test at the scene, they handled the situation according to the "Handling Procedures for Refusal to Submit to Drunk Driving Tests" and brought him back to the station. At the station, officers repeatedly asked Tu and his wife if they needed medical treatment, but received no clear response. It was not until around 4:07 PM that day that an officer proactively called 119 to arrange for hospital transport. He was diagnosed with a spontaneous brain hemorrhage at the hospital.
Regarding the family's claim that the responding officers and paramedics at the scene were involved in negligent injury and their subsequent filing of a lawsuit, Lin Sheng-wei said that although Tu indicated during the investigation period that he did not wish to press charges, the Wanhua Precinct, for the sake of fairness, had already referred the case to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office on February 3. They will hold the relevant personnel accountable based on the results of the investigation and trial.
When the media asked whether Tu and his wife had requested medical treatment at the time of the incident, Lin Sheng-wei stated that during the officers' handling process, including at the Xining South Road scene and after returning to the station, the officers asked them whether they wanted to go to the hospital, but received no clear indication of either requesting or refusing medical transport. The officers asked a total of 6 times between 2:17 PM and 4:00 PM that day.
Lin Sheng-wei said that because the officers believed it involved related rights issues, they proactively called 119 to request paramedics to come to the scene to assist in sending Tu to the hospital.
The media further pressed that the family claimed the initial breathalyzer value was zero, accusing the police of delaying treatment for the sake of drunk driving enforcement performance. Lin Sheng-wei clarified that no breathalyzer test was completed at the Xining South Road scene, nor were any relevant values obtained; the values pointed out by the family should be the subsequent hospital blood test report which approached zero.
Lin Sheng-wei mentioned that although the police used an alcohol testing wand for a preliminary test at the scene, which showed no signs of an alcohol reaction, enforcing drunk driving laws does not rely solely on this standard. The officers at the scene stated there was a smell of alcohol, and paramedics also said Tu seemed to emanate an odor of alcohol. This led them to question whether Tu was passively refusing the test. To avoid subsequent legal issues, the officers completed the test refusal process at the scene and at the station.
Later, independent Taipei City Councilor Hsu Li-hsin also issued a statement through a media group, saying that because Tu is still in rehabilitation and his wife is nearing the birth of their first child, she entrusted him to explain the situation to the public. He believes there are many discrepancies between the police's explanation and the facts. These include that when Tu felt unwell and collapsed on the road, the police said if he wanted to go to the hospital, they would have to issue a ticket, which led to him being taken to the police station.
Hsu Li-hsin said that after arriving at the station, the police thought Tu was in good condition and demanded he quickly blow into the breathalyzer, but Tu was already unable to respond, let alone blow. Seeing Tu's condition worsen, his wife continuously pleaded with the police before finally calling 119 herself to send him to the hospital. There was no such thing as the police requesting to send him to the hospital 6 times and the family refusing. She demanded that the police release the video footage of the incident to establish public trust.
Regarding the police's statement that the family was unwilling to press charges for negligent injury, Hsu Li-hsin said Tu's wife found this incomprehensible. The incident caused a delay in Tu's medical treatment, and his health remains poor today. The police also did not explain clearly at the time, and he questioned how a case could be transferred for prosecution if no complaint was filed for an offense tellable only upon complaint. He hopes the judicial system can swiftly restore justice for Tu. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150420
The report stated that hospital examinations confirmed Tu's condition was caused by a stroke and brain hemorrhage. An emergency craniotomy saved his life, but he was left with sequelae such as cognitive confusion, requiring long-term rehabilitation. His pregnant wife found this unacceptable and fiercely criticized the police for delaying his medical treatment.
The Wanhua Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department held a press conference this morning to provide an explanation. Inspector Lin Sheng-wei stated that officers from the Ximending Police Station received a 110 dispatch at around 1:09 PM on January 15, reporting a person who had collapsed on the road near Xining South Road within their jurisdiction. Police and fire department paramedics quickly arrived at the scene.
Upon arrival, police and paramedics found a man sitting by the roadside, vomiting, with suspected signs of drunk driving. After the paramedics tested and evaluated that the man was not a critical case and noted a suspected smell of alcohol on him, he was not sent to the hospital, with the agreement of his family members present.
Because the officers could not complete the breathalyzer test at the scene, they handled the situation according to the "Handling Procedures for Refusal to Submit to Drunk Driving Tests" and brought him back to the station. At the station, officers repeatedly asked Tu and his wife if they needed medical treatment, but received no clear response. It was not until around 4:07 PM that day that an officer proactively called 119 to arrange for hospital transport. He was diagnosed with a spontaneous brain hemorrhage at the hospital.
Regarding the family's claim that the responding officers and paramedics at the scene were involved in negligent injury and their subsequent filing of a lawsuit, Lin Sheng-wei said that although Tu indicated during the investigation period that he did not wish to press charges, the Wanhua Precinct, for the sake of fairness, had already referred the case to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office on February 3. They will hold the relevant personnel accountable based on the results of the investigation and trial.
When the media asked whether Tu and his wife had requested medical treatment at the time of the incident, Lin Sheng-wei stated that during the officers' handling process, including at the Xining South Road scene and after returning to the station, the officers asked them whether they wanted to go to the hospital, but received no clear indication of either requesting or refusing medical transport. The officers asked a total of 6 times between 2:17 PM and 4:00 PM that day.
Lin Sheng-wei said that because the officers believed it involved related rights issues, they proactively called 119 to request paramedics to come to the scene to assist in sending Tu to the hospital.
The media further pressed that the family claimed the initial breathalyzer value was zero, accusing the police of delaying treatment for the sake of drunk driving enforcement performance. Lin Sheng-wei clarified that no breathalyzer test was completed at the Xining South Road scene, nor were any relevant values obtained; the values pointed out by the family should be the subsequent hospital blood test report which approached zero.
Lin Sheng-wei mentioned that although the police used an alcohol testing wand for a preliminary test at the scene, which showed no signs of an alcohol reaction, enforcing drunk driving laws does not rely solely on this standard. The officers at the scene stated there was a smell of alcohol, and paramedics also said Tu seemed to emanate an odor of alcohol. This led them to question whether Tu was passively refusing the test. To avoid subsequent legal issues, the officers completed the test refusal process at the scene and at the station.
Later, independent Taipei City Councilor Hsu Li-hsin also issued a statement through a media group, saying that because Tu is still in rehabilitation and his wife is nearing the birth of their first child, she entrusted him to explain the situation to the public. He believes there are many discrepancies between the police's explanation and the facts. These include that when Tu felt unwell and collapsed on the road, the police said if he wanted to go to the hospital, they would have to issue a ticket, which led to him being taken to the police station.
Hsu Li-hsin said that after arriving at the station, the police thought Tu was in good condition and demanded he quickly blow into the breathalyzer, but Tu was already unable to respond, let alone blow. Seeing Tu's condition worsen, his wife continuously pleaded with the police before finally calling 119 herself to send him to the hospital. There was no such thing as the police requesting to send him to the hospital 6 times and the family refusing. She demanded that the police release the video footage of the incident to establish public trust.
Regarding the police's statement that the family was unwilling to press charges for negligent injury, Hsu Li-hsin said Tu's wife found this incomprehensible. The incident caused a delay in Tu's medical treatment, and his health remains poor today. The police also did not explain clearly at the time, and he questioned how a case could be transferred for prosecution if no complaint was filed for an offense tellable only upon complaint. He hopes the judicial system can swiftly restore justice for Tu. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150420