2014 ROC Presidential Office Building Truck Attack

The 2014 ROC Presidential Office Building Truck Attack (Chinese: 2014年中華民國總統府遭砂石車衝撞事件; pinyin: 2014 Nián Zhōnghuá Mínguó Zǒngtǒngfǔ Zāo Shāshíchē Chōngzhuàng Shìjiàn) is an attack to the Office Building of the President of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taipei, Taiwan. The incident occurred on 25 January 2014 at 5:05 am.[1] The perpetrator was identified as Chang Ter-cheng (張德正).

Chronology

At 5:05 am, Chang drove a 35-tonne truck towards the office at a speed of 72 km/h, ramming through four layers of defensive barriers and going up the stairs before being stopped by a bulletproof door leading to the entrance of the presidential office building.[2] Sentries guards of the 211th battalion, ROC Military Police slammed shut the bulletproof door within seconds after they saw the vehicle was heading towards them. It only took five seconds for the truck to hit the building after it left Ketagalan Boulevard. No sentries guarding the gate were injured.[3]

Chang was taken immediately by the police to the National Taiwan University Hospital for treatment from injuries due to the collision. He regained consciousness later.

By the time of the incident, President Ma Ying-jeou was at São Tomé and Príncipe for an official trip.[4][5]

Aftermaths

The Presidential Office invited the National Police Agency, National Security Bureau and Taipei City Police Department for a meeting to discuss on how to better secure the presidential office building in the future.[6]

The Presidential Office had ordered a new and thicker bullet proof door to be installed as soon as possible. A new 18 concrete flower-stands had also been installed in front of the building right after the incident occurred.

Wu Chung-ho (吳仲和), the sentries guard who did his job in closing the bullet proof door before the truck slammed into the building was awarded with medal of honor and given extra vacation days in recognition to his action.[7][8]

Reactions

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou asked all of the officials to handle this incident carefully following all of the standard operating procedures.

ROC Presidential Office Secretary-General Timothy Yang said that a team will be established and charged with improving security around the building.[6][9]

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin demanded the police to increase security around the Presidential Office Building to avoid similar incidents in the future.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Truck crashes into Presidential Office". Taipei Times. 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  2. ↑ "Task force to review security after truck breaches office". Taipei Times. 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  3. ↑ "Presidential Office rammed by truck". The China Post. 2014-01-26. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  4. ↑ "35-tonne truck rams into Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's office". Straitstimes.com. 2014-01-25. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  5. ↑ "Truck rams into Taiwan president's office | News | GMA News Online". Gmanetwork.com. 2014-01-25. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Bullet-proof door blocked truck within seconds: official". The China Post. 2014-01-26. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  7. ↑ "Police probe Chang Te-cheng’s motive". Taipei Times. 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  8. ↑ "不畏7千噸衝擊 菜鳥秒按立大功". YouTube. 2014-01-26. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  9. ↑ "驚險關鍵五秒! 菜鳥憲兵急按下防彈鋼門". YouTube. 2014-01-25. Retrieved 2014-04-21.