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SCMP Reporter

A MOTORIST who was shot dead by police in Tsim Sha Tsui 11 days ago - sparking calls for an independent inquiry - was yesterday described as having ''driven like a madman''.

  Witnesses will be asked to reconstruct the shooting, which occurred after an officer was dragged 50 metres with his hand trapped in the car window, according to police.

    They say the driver, Chan Hon-wing, was desperate to escape pursuing officers and had driven his Mercedes-Benz recklessly through the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, jumping three sets of lights, making two illegal turns and reversing against the traffic flow early on the morning of May 1.

   A police source said the 34-year-old driver was driving while disqualified for three years.

  Police will reconstruct the events leading up to the shooting next Monday.

   Two men who were passengers in the Mercedes - Mr Chow Man-chiu, 29, and Mr Chan Kim-wing, 34, - will be asked to recall their side of the story. The same car will be used in the reconstruction.

   The two men say police beat them up after they were arrested following the shooting.

    The 27-year-old officer who opened fire will also take part in the reconstruction.

   Acting Assistant District Commander of Yau Tsim, Detective Superintendent Stephen Tarrant, said: ''We hope to have a clear picture as to what exactly happened that night.

  ''It will probably take us four to five weeks for the pathologist's report and we are waiting for the result of the toxicology tests [on the dead man].''   The Legislative Council's security panel has been briefed on the shooting by the West Kowloon Regional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Toby Emmet.

   Police sources said officers believed they had pieced together the sequence of events which led to the shooting.

  Inquiries revealed that Chan and the two passengers had been drinking at the Caesar Nightclub at the Miramar Hotel in Nathan Road earlier on May 1.

  They left in the Mercedes, which police chased when it jumped a red light at the junction of Nathan and Austin roads at about 3 am.

  The car turned into Cox's Road and Tak Hing Street and turned left into Nathan Road.

  The source said Chan first turned left illegally into Austin Road from Nathan Road and was travelling along the wrong side of the road outside the Gun Club Barracks.

  He then turned right illegally into Chatham Road South and reversed 300 metres from the junction of Chatham Road South and Granville Road, hitting at least one taxi.

   A police source said: ''Chan couldn't reverse further because there were cars coming down from the Hunghom railway station along Cheong Wan Road.

  ''That's where police caught up with him because the car was stranded in the yellow box. He was driving like a madman.''   One of the officers of the Kowloon West Emergency Unit jumped from the police car and drew his revolver as he ''did not know what to expect''.

  The officer approached the Mercedes and told Chan to get out. Chan opened the door but as the officer came closer he slammed the door and drove off, trapping the policeman's left hand.

  ''He was pulled along for 40 to 50 metres and that's when he used his right hand to fire one shot, hitting Chan in the back,'' the source said.

  Police yesterday appealed to a taxi driver whose car was hit by the Mercedes at Chatham Road South to come forward.

  Police have so far been unable to find independent witnesses.

  Chan's family has questioned the police version of events,     and whether the shooting was justified.



Police to replay fatal shooting