AFTER last Wednesday's armed robbery of a jewellery shop in Swire House, Central, police conducted sweeps of nearby buildings. However, in the midst of terrorised commuters, shoppers and curious crowds, the police were not doing much to calm anyone down.
After shots were fired and after the chase through the MTR concourse, it was believed that the robbers had disappeared into the crowd. Therefore, it was right that officers should be vigilant and search the area, but was it really necessary to generate more fear amongst passers-by? I was in Central Building, at a doctor's clinic, between 3 and 3.30pm, when the robbery took place and the robbers fired their guns.
While I was waiting, patients who tried to leave came back and told us about the robbery and that all exits of the building had been blocked.
All the elevators were stopped so that no one could leave. At around 4.30pm, one of the elevators started up.
As I wanted to get back to my office in Alexandra House, I took the elevator by myself, thinking that they had finished with the search.
When the elevator door opened, I was greeted by at least 20 police officers, all with their guns pointing at me.
For a second, I thought there was someone else in the elevator (the robbers?), but then I realised their target was me.