MIAOLI COUNTY— A shocking knife attack occurred in downtown Miaoli on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 2), leaving two elementary school girls and one man injured. Amid the chaos, a female after-school care teacher risked her life to pull a young girl from the assailant’s grasp, an act caught on a nearby car’s dashcam.
Police identified the suspect as a 48-year-old man surnamed Chiu, who had previously been convicted of attempted murder after stabbing four people inside the same convenience store a decade ago. He served an eight-year, eight-month prison sentence and was released only in March this year.
According to authorities, the incident began shortly after 3 p.m. when Chiu, wearing a helmet and armed with a knife, slashed an 11-year-old girl surnamed Hsu on Sheliao Street. He then moved toward a convenience store at the intersection of Jianzhong Street and Zhongzheng Road, where he stabbed a 50-year-old man in the back. The injured man struggled with Chiu before fleeing, while passersby scattered in panic.
Chiu then advanced toward a group of schoolgirls gathered under the arcade in front of the store. A woman standing nearby shouted “Run!” and tried to shepherd the children to safety. However, an 11-year-old girl surnamed Ting fell behind and was grabbed by Chiu.
Despite the danger, the woman intervened, yelling “Don’t!” as Chiu stabbed the child in the chest and abdomen. In a split-second act of courage, she managed to pull the injured girl away, likely saving her life.
Police later confirmed that the rescuer is a Ms. Huang, an after-school care teacher. Her heroic actions and the attack itself were recorded on a dashcam from a car parked nearby.
That evening, the dashcam owner uploaded the footage to Threads, condemning Chiu’s actions and criticizing the government for failing to prevent repeat offenses. “He stabbed people once before and got out after only eight years,” the post read. “Now he’s back, terrifying his neighbors — what happened to fixing the holes in society’s safety net?”
The three victims were rushed to hospital for treatment. Police have detained Chiu, and an investigation into the incident is underway.