TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A fight sparked by a noise complaint in Taichung’s Xitun District early Monday left one man hospitalized and five suspects in police custody, according to the Taichung City Police Department.
The altercation occurred around 2 a.m. after a resident, angered by a car with a custom exhaust that kept circling the neighborhood, confronted the driver on Baoqing Street, according to CNA. Police said the resident, a man surnamed Chen (陳), brought a fire extinguisher to stop the vehicle and keep the driver at the scene until officers arrived.
After an argument, Chen used the extinguisher on the outside of the car, angering the driver and his passengers. The driver, identified by police as a man surnamed Chao (趙), allegedly retrieved a baseball bat from the vehicle and attacked Chen. Some of the other passengers then joined in, hitting Chen repeatedly with bats.
Chen suffered multiple abrasions and contusions and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The Sixth Precinct dispatched 24 officers to the scene and arrested five people, including Chao. Police said Chao had been driving along Xitun Road and Baoqing Street with the modified exhaust, causing significant disturbance to nearby residents.
The case has been transferred to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office on suspicion of assault. Police said they are continuing to identify additional accomplices and review surveillance footage.
