Man allegedly punches Certis officer's head after being told to wear mask at Teban Gardens Road

A 38-year-old man was arrested for allegedly punching an auxiliary police officer after being advised to put on his mask.

The police said in a statement that they received a call for assistance from the Certis officer on Jan 21 at about 4pm who was carrying out safe distancing compliance checks as an enforcement officer along Teban Gardens Road.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the Certis officer had spotted the man who was allegedly not wearing a mask.

The man purportedly did not cooperate with the officer and attempted to run away after the officer advised the man to put on his mask and to furnish his particulars.

When the officer caught up with the man, the man had allegedly punched the officer's head.

The officer and his colleagues eventually managed to detain the man and handed him over to police officers.

The man will be charged with voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty.

The offence carries a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.

The man will also be investigated for breaching the Covid-19 (Temporary Measure) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.

The police added in its statement: "The Police have zero tolerance towards such acts of violence against public servants who are carrying out their duties and will not hesitate to take action against those who blatantly disregard the law."