Man Arrested After 50 km Chase Following Temple Threat with Toy Gun and Firing of Live Rounds

[Anchor]

A man in his 50s who threatened a monk at a temple with a toy gun and fled has been apprehended by police after a pursuit. During his escape, he repeatedly rammed patrol cars, and a subsequent breathalyzer test confirmed his blood alcohol level was within the suspension range.

Reporter Jung Hyo-jung from KNN.

[Reporter]

Police cars quickly surround a vehicle.

However, rather than stopping, the suspect attempts to flee by repeatedly crashing into the patrol vehicles. Officers fire two blank rounds and four live rounds, but the suspect does not stop.

Ultimately, police break the window with an expandable baton and deploy a taser to subdue the suspect.

The suspect was apprehended here after leading police on a chase of approximately 50 kilometers.

The pursuit began at 3:00 PM yesterday (July 29) at a temple in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do.

A man in his 50s suddenly entered the temple and demanded that a monk get into his car.

When the monk refused, the man pulled out an 87-centimeter-long firearm from the passenger seat and threatened him.

[Temple Monk: I thought I was going to die, and the terror washed over me. The fear hit me long after it happened.]

When a temple official tried to block him, the man drove off, and was eventually captured by police encirclement after an hour and a half of fleeing.

Investigations revealed that the weapon was a toy gun loaded with around 100 BBs, and the suspect was reportedly intoxicated.

[Shim Hyung-tae / Head of District Police Division, Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency: After detecting the smell of alcohol, we administered a breathalyzer test to the suspect, and his blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.076 percent.]

While five police officers sustained injuries during the arrest, police have booked the suspect on charges including violations of the Road Traffic Act, special intimidation, and special obstruction of official duties resulting in injury, and are investigating the exact motive for the crime.

(Video by Ahn Myung-hwan, KNN | Footage provided by Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency)

Jung Hyo-jung, KNN
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.