Hoi Kim Heng

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Corporal Hoi Kim Heng (1970-21 May 1994) was a police officer of the Singapore Police Force who was stabbed to death at the age of 24 by Soh Loo Ban after a chase near Fook Hai Building in Singapore on 21 May 1994. He was the second last police officer to be murdered in the line of duty, the last being that of SI Boo Tiang Huat which occurred on 30 November 1994. The year 1994 was then considered a dark year for the police force.

[edit] The murder

Hoi, a regular police officer with the Central Police Division, was on regular patrol with his partner, corporal Tan Huang Yee in their Fast Response Car in the Chinatown area when they spotted Soh along Nankin Street. They stopped and stepped out to check on Soh, who was known for his history of crimes as a drug addict and gangster. When corporal Tan asked Soh for his identity card, he pretended to reach for his card, and produced a 10 centremetre-long knife instead, which he used to stab corporal Tan on his left arm before turning to run.

Both officers chased after Soh down Nankin Street. When reaching the Fook Hai Building, Soh stopped, turned and dashed into the pursuing officers, colliding into corporal Hoi and sending both men to the ground. As they collided, Soh stabbed corporal Hoi in the neck with his knife, before continuing on his escape with Corporal Tan still in pursuit. Corporal Hoi briefly got onto his feet, but collapsed again.

Soh was chased to the Hong Lim Food Centre, whereby the slippery floor surface caused both men to slip and fall. Corporal Tan sustained more stab wounds from Soh, until he shot Soh in the chest with his service revolver. A stray bullet also struck a passerby.

Other officers arriving at the scene found corporal Hoi barely alive and rushed him to the hospital, but he did not survive. Soh also died from his wounds. Both corporal Tan and the passerby recovered from their injuries.

[edit] Aftermath

Corporal Hoi was given a rare field promotion posthumously on 23 May 1994 to the rank of sergeant, and was given a police ceremonial cremation with full police honours. Corporal Tan was also awarded the field promotion to the rank of sergeant.

The case made front page news in the local media, and led to the public writing letters to the press expressing concerns over the possibility of police procedures preventing the officer from defending himself adequately. Existing police procedures forbade officers from drawing their weapons except when there was imminent signs of danger to himself or others. Hoi's death contributed to a review of these procedures, which now permit officers to draw their weapons based on personal judgement and assessment of the situation presented before him.