Taipei: The Taipei District Court on Friday approved a request by prosecutors to detain a taxi driver who rammed his vehicle into the Taipei District Prosecutors Office early Thursday morning.
According to Focus Taiwan, prosecutors suspected that the driver, surnamed Shao, violated several provisions of Taiwan's Criminal Code, including obstruction of justice and public disorder. Initially, Shao was released on NT$100,000 (US$3,150) bail while the investigation continued, but his inability to pay the bond led to a request for his detention. This request was subsequently approved, resulting in Shao's detainment early Friday morning.
The incident took place at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Thursday when Shao drove his vehicle into the front door of the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, located near the Presidential Office Building. Police officers from Taipei's Zhongzheng First Precinct arrested Shao, confirming he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. While the incident caused property damage, no injuries were reported.
Authorities seized Shao's taxi, which had slogans like "the judicial system is dead" painted on the doors, and transferred Shao to the custody of the office he targeted for further investigation. The police noted that Shao had 12 years of experience as a taxi driver but was recently involved in several legal cases that ended unfavorably for him, with the latest ruling occurring on Wednesday.
After the recent legal setback, Shao expressed his dissatisfaction on social media before proceeding to the Taipei Prosecutors Office. Reports indicate he surveyed the area before driving his taxi into the office's front gate on Bo'ai Road.