Police shoot in name of public protection
- Officers have opened fire on two knife-wielding men in little more than four months in a city that prides itself on safety, and it is essential to ensure that correct procedures are being followed
Two knife-wielding men shot by police in busy public places in little more than four months; there is an impression that Hong Kong is not as safe a city as it is claimed to be. But at issue is the ability of law enforcers to protect citizens, not safety. In both cases, officers did just that, quickly identifying a problematic situation and making a snap decision to successfully disable an attacker. Exhaustive training and adherence to procedures ensured that serious circumstances did not escalate and get out of hand.
In the most recent incident on Saturday, a man was shot dead by an officer in a supermarket in Yau Ma Tei after twice ignoring orders by police to drop the knife he was brandishing. They had given chase after noticing him running along a street with the weapon and arrived at the shop to see him attacking an employee. Fair warning was given, but ignored, and a shot was fired into his chest from about a metre. The worker was wounded in the head and it seems likely would have suffered worse injuries – and colleagues may also have been attacked – had police not been so decisive.
Circumstances could well have been similar last November had a police officer not fired at a man who drew a 15cm cutter on her at Sham Shui Po MTR station. He had been acting suspiciously and was stopped and questioned. When he took the weapon out of his backpack and tried to attack, he was shot in the abdomen, causing spinal injuries. An inquiry determined police guidelines were followed and that consequences could have been serious had prompt action not been taken.
Police can open fire to protect themselves and others from death or injury; to bring about the arrest of someone who has just committed a serious crime; and to quell a riot or uprising. But in taking such action, they also have to be mindful of others in the vicinity and that is why in both recent instances, the attackers’ torsos, rather than arms and legs, were fired at. Police shootings in Hong Kong are rare and each case has to be thoroughly investigated to ensure procedures are followed and the right course of action taken. What drives citizens to violence also has to be determined to identify patterns and prevent repeat incidents.