A man in the northern province of Lang Son was arrested by police after taking hostage his ten-year-old son at gunpoint, and later used the gun to 'steal' a taxi on Monday.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident happened at around 6:00 pm in Chi Lang Ward, Lang Son City, where a man, about 30, in black jacket and blue jeans, wearing sunglasses, was dragging a boy, around 10, on Hung Vuong Street, pointing his gun at people around.

The man was then identified as Vi Van Doan, 36, a resident of Lang Son City, and the boy is his son, a local newswire cited police as saying.

The man then approached a taxi, threatening the driver at gunpoint for the cab and drove the vehicle away before being blocked by police, local residents said.

Colonel Nguyen Trung Truc on 8:30 pm the same day confirmed the man had been detained for an investigation into his criminal acts.

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