A tense scene unfolded at a chain furniture store’s dining area in Kaohsiung when a man allegedly brandished a knife during an argument, alarming several bystanders. The conflict reportedly began when a male diner complained about the loud volume of a woman’s video on her phone. In response, her husband became agitated and, in an attempt to defend his wife, reportedly grabbed a table knife and confronted the man, prompting police intervention.
Witnesses described the scene, saying the man wearing a hat held the knife in his right hand while standing up and arguing with the young male diner. He reportedly shouted at the woman: “Are you only going to bully a woman? You say I’m loud? I’m sitting here alone, and you tell me I’m loud?”
The woman claimed that the young man had initially complained about the volume of her phone video. Tensions escalated when her husband intervened with the knife, leaving other diners visibly nervous. One bystander recounted the heated exchange: “The woman spoke quite forcefully, saying, ‘You don’t need me to lower my volume. If you need quiet, you should pay for a fancy restaurant or a private room.’”
Although the young man initially decided not to press charges, he told police, “I didn’t intend to pursue this further, but because he was holding a knife, I felt the need to call the police.”
The man with the knife, surnamed Yang, explained to authorities that he had been eating at the time and happened to have the knife in hand when the argument escalated. While both parties have temporarily agreed not to pursue the matter, Yang’s actions could still constitute intimidation under the law, and police said they would investigate accordingly.
The incident highlights the challenges of open dining areas in busy stores, where loud phone videos or other disruptions can easily spark conflicts.
