Police found the lost Taser in Osan, 20 kilometers away, in about 18 hours.
On the 13th, Suwon Nambu Police Station in Gyeonggi-do returned after a police officer A from the Curved District was dispatched at around 5:30 a.m. the previous day. The lost Taser was recovered from a man in his 60s near Osan Bridge at around 11:55 p.m. on the same day, it said.
Earlier, A received a report that an elderly man was lying at a bus stop in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, took protective measures, and lost his Taser in the process of returning to the precinct.
Police analyzed nearby crime prevention cameras (CCTVs), and at around 5:31 a.m., a man believed to be an elderly man who picks up waste paper was seen moving with a Taser in his collection.
Police searched for B through CCTV analysis and tracking, and found B in his 60s near Osan Bridge at around 11:55 p.m. on the same day, about 18 hours after the incident.
B is known to have been living by wandering around without a suitable residence and picking up waste paper. On this day, it was also confirmed that he walked about 20km from Gwonseon-gu, Suwon to Osan.
The Taser A lost was a new type of "Taser 7," which can be fired for two consecutive rounds, and was recovered as it was at the time of loss.
B reportedly told the police, "I just picked up the gun because it was off."
A police official said, "It took some time for B to live and find waste paper without a certain housing," and added, "We are considering whether to apply the charge of embezzlement of possessions."
The crime of embezzling possessions applies to embezzling lost or drifted objects that are out of possession of others, and can be sentenced to up to one year in prison or fined up to 3 million won.
Reporter Park Sun-young of Digital News Team
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