Internal Security Act 1960 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 4 · Miscellaneous Provisions
75. Use of lethal weapons in effecting arrests
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Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other written law, it shall be lawful for any police officer in order —
police officer
“police officer” includes an auxiliary police officer and a special police officer appointed in accordance with any written law for the time being in force;
to effect the arrest of any person liable to detention under any order made under section 8;
to effect the arrest of any person liable to arrest and detention under section 74(1) or (2);
to effect the arrest of any person whom he has, in all the circumstances of the case, reasonable grounds for suspecting to have committed an offence under this Act or under any provision of any written law for the time being specified in the First Schedule;
to overcome forcible resistance offered by any person to such arrest; or
to prevent the escape from arrest or the rescue of any person arrested as aforesaid,to use such force as, in the circumstances of the case, may be reasonably necessary, which force may extend to the use of lethal weapons.
Every person arrested for any of the offences referred to in subsection (1) shall as soon as possible after his arrest be clearly warned of his liability to be shot at if he endeavours to escape from custody.
The powers conferred upon a police officer by subsection (1) may be exercised by any member of the security forces, and by any person performing the duties of a guard or watchman in a protected place, and by any other person generally authorised in that behalf by the Commissioner of Police.
security forces
“security forces” includes the Singapore Police Force, the Special Constabulary, the auxiliary police force, the Singapore Armed Forces, any local forces established under any written law in force in Singapore, and any force which is a visiting force for the purposes of Part 1 of the Visiting Forces Act 1960 and in respect of whom all or any of the powers exercisable by the Singapore Armed Forces or their members under this Act have been made exercisable by an order made under any such law;
Nothing in this section shall derogate from the right of private defence contained in sections 96 to 106A, inclusive, of the Penal Code 1871.