Taipei: A retired Chiayi County police detective, Hou Hung-tien, has had his convictions and sentences finalized by the Supreme Court following an appeal rejection. Hou was convicted of fatally shooting a man during a dispute concerning an earthmoving business, culminating in a 12-year-and-six-month sentence for joint homicide and a five-year-and-10-month sentence for illegal possession of a modified handgun.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Supreme Court upheld the reduced sentence, which was previously handed down by the Taiwan High Court's Tainan Branch. Hou, known as "Red Dot" during his time with the Chiayi County Police Bureau, was initially sentenced to life imprisonment by the Chiayi District Court. His charges included homicide and illegal possession of a modified handgun.
Court documents reveal that the fatal incident occurred in January 2022 in Dongshi Township, Chiayi County, following a dispute over profits from an earthmoving business. The altercation escalated into an armed confrontation when the victim, surnamed Chang, went to Hou's residence to provoke him. The two later agreed to meet at a local temple to negotiate, where Chang allegedly fired warning shots before Hou shot at Chang's vehicle, resulting in Chang's death three days later in the hospital.
Prosecutors highlighted that Hou had previously investigated Chang in cases involving firearms and intimidation while he was a police officer. Their professional relationship later soured into a business dispute after Hou's retirement. The High Court's Tainan Branch had reduced Hou's sentence in October 2025, considering his guilty plea, a mediation agreement with Chang's family, and the full payment of NT$8 million (US$274,000) in compensation. The appellate court also noted that Chang initiated the confrontation and fired shots first.
In its decision to reject Hou's appeal, the Supreme Court affirmed that the appellate court had accurately established the facts, correctly applied the law, and imposed an appropriate sentence. Prosecutors plan to request the court to determine the total sentence Hou is expected to serve.