I've no regrets about the tear gas, says top police officer who ordered its use
Commander who made the decision believes it was the lesser of two evils as lives were at stake
The police officer who made the controversial call to use tear gas on thousands of Occupy Central demonstrators in Admiralty one week ago today, fuelling unprecedented civil disobedience in Hong Kong, says he has no regrets and would make the same decision again.
The senior superintendent was the commander in charge of the area where tear gas was fired last Sunday afternoon into crowds of pro-democracy supporters that had taken over a major street near government offices.
"I have no regrets. If I hadn't used it, and they had come through, we could have ended up with seriously injured or worse," he said, referring to a mass crush in 1992 in Lan Kwai Fong that left 21 people dead.
"If I am in the same situation [again], and there is serious threat to public safety, then I will do the same."
He said if he had not made the decision, people could have died, as the use of tear gas was solely to prevent mass injuries from a possible stampede if there had been a sudden break in the cordon.
Watch: Police fire tear gas at protesters outside Hong Kong government offices on Sep 28