Captain Yeh Kun-fu, Taichung chief of police, said he asked to be disciplined himself for the conduct of his officers failure to maintain law and order.

Lieutenant Chuang Hung-chang, chief of the fifth precinct, was demerited to take responsibility for the other five police officers giving no protection to a dope addict beaten up by five thugs.

The five officers were Sergeant Tu Chih-hung, a sub-station head under Captain Yeh; Sergeant Wang Yu-kai, a patrol chief; and policemen Yen Hsuan-ming, Chang Wei-teh and Lin Peng-hung.

Sergeant Tu was given a demerit and fired as sub-station chief. The other sergeant was cautioned with two warnings, while a warning was given each of the three policemen.

The beating took place Sunday night, after the drug addict, identified only as Hsieh, had backed his car to hit a following sedan on a Taichung street.

Hsieh thought the man driving the sedan was a policeman tailing him. He was able to speed away, but the driver of the sedan, Hung Chin-tsai, came after him with four of his friends. They caught up with him at a downtown street corner.

As Hsieh was being beaten with baseball bats and bicycle chains, passers-by called for police help.

A squad car arrived, but the three policemen did not try to stop the beating, which was photographed by some of the passers-by.

More policemen came later and brought the five men back to the sub-station, where they were allowed freedom to move around and make phone calls. They were not questioned, reporters on the police beat said.

The identity of Hung’s four fellow thugs was withheld.

Hung told police he was tailing Hsieh at the request of a car loan firm. Hsieh got the loan to buy his car but did not repay it.

“We were asked to get the loan back from Hsieh,” Hung was quoted as saying.

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