Police chief's son, friend convicted for assaulting, detaining thief

The son of Taiwan's Police Agency Director, Zhang Rongxing, was involved in a case where he and a friend allegedly assaulted and unlawfully detained a thief caught at their hot pot restaurant. Zhang Shaotang and his friend, surnamed Hong, were recently sentenced by the Taichung District Court.

The incident occurred on April 11, 2025, when a man surnamed Lai broke into the restaurant intending to steal. Zhang Shaotang and Hong rushed to the scene after being notified by the security system. Upon confronting Lai, a conflict erupted. Lai later accused them of beating him with a baseball bat, burning his hands with hot soup, and forcing him to sign a 1 million New Taiwan Dollar promissory note.

Initially, prosecutors found insufficient evidence to press charges, but the case was reopened. Surveillance footage confirmed Zhang and Hong's presence from 3:46 AM to 5:03 AM, indicating they had detained and injured Lai. They were subsequently indicted on charges of assault and coercion.

During the trial, Zhang and Hong reached a settlement with Lai regarding the assault charges, and Lai withdrew his complaint. However, the coercion charge, being a public offense, proceeded. The court acknowledged the defendants' emotional distress upon discovering the theft but found their actions of using a baseball bat and hot soup to restrict Lai's freedom for about an hour to be coercive. The judge ruled that the circumstances did not warrant a sentence reduction under Article 59 of the Criminal Code.

Considering the defendants confessed their actions and had reached a settlement, indicating remorse, the court sentenced each to 55 days of detention, commutable to a fine. A two-year suspended sentence was granted. The case is subject to appeal.

Following the incident's exposure, Director Zhang Rongxing stated that the event involved his adult son's personal actions, for which he should bear legal and social responsibility. He asserted he had not interfered with the investigation and would not shield his son. He expressed respect for the judicial process and the court's decision.