Prison standoff ends after inmates led by mob boss shoot themselves
Print Edition
SIX inmates led by a mob boss committed suicide at a prison in Taiwan early yesterday after a failed breakout attempt in which they seized weapons and held a warden and guards hostage, officials said. All the hostages are safe.
The inmates began their attempt on Wednesday afternoon in the southern port city of Kaohsiung. In a telephone interview with a newspaper during an overnight standoff, the 46-year-old ringleader said the six had long planned the move and were prepared to die. He also complained about long sentences and unfairness in the granting of medical parole.
Chen Ming-tang, Taiwan’s deputy justice chief, said officials rejected the group’s demand for safe passage out of the prison and had tried to convince them to surrender peacefully during hours of negotiations.
“We tried to give them assurances so they wouldn’t do something stupid and to reconsider, but sadly they committed suicide and we feel deep regret,” Chen told reporters in Taipei.
Chen said five prison staffers were slightly injured in the standoff, but did not elaborate.
In the hours before dawn yesterday, the inmates had released all hostages except the warden. They then shot themselves, and the warden was able to walk free, Chen said.
The justice department did not offer any video or other evidence of the suicides, but there was no sign during the standoff of a raid by police who ringed the Kaohsiung Prison in scenes broadcast by Taiwan TV stations.
Chen said four of the inmates shot themselves first and the remaining two had fired additional shots at them to make sure they were dead before shooting themselves at about 5:30am.
The inmates ranged in age from 37 to 63 and were serving sentences for homicide, burglary and drug crimes.
The ringleader, Cheng Li-te, was known as head of the Kaohsiung branch of the notorious mafia-type organization Bamboo Union and was serving a 28 1/2-year sentence for homicide, the department said. The other five inmates were serving sentences ranging from 25 years to life.
According to a timeline given by the justice department, the incident began about 3:10pm on Wednesday when the six attacked staff at the prison infirmary and stole a prison skeleton key in an attempt to escape.
After finding they were unable to open the prison’s outer door, they attacked other staff with knives and broke into the prison armory where they stole four rifles, six handguns and ammunition. By about 4:15, negotiations were under way over their demands and the release of prison guards taken hostage as police took up positions around the prison.
The inmates demanded safe passage from the prison while holding warden Chen Shih-chih and head guard Wang Shih-tsang after the pair offered to swap themselves for earlier hostages.
At one point, Cheng’s mother spoke to him by phone, urging him not to act rashly.
The group also demanded and received two bottles of liquor, but refused to hand over their weapons.
The United Daily News said that in the phone call with Cheng he also complained about the tendency of judges to presume guilt, and to give long sentences to repeat offenders.
Chen said the inmates fired guns at about midnight to try to shoot down drone cameras deployed by media outlets and again about 3am to warn off police.
The department said it had rejected demands that the police force be withdrawn and that two vehicles be provided to allow the prisoners to leave in exchange for the safety of the detainees.
The inmates reportedly used the need for medical care as a pretense to lure prison guards before kidnapping them.
The department said deputy warden Lai Chen-jung and head guard Wang volunteered to swap with the two guards who were initially taken hostage. Later, Chen, the prison warden, offered to change places with Lai as a hostage.
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