Kai Tak shoot-out residents say they were kept in the dark
Residents say they had no idea what was going on as drama played out as police complain live TV coverage may have jeopardised operation
Residents of the Kai Tak public housing estate where yesterday's fatal shoot-out took place have questioned the handling of the incident by police, saying they were kept in the dark and asking why only the floor where the gunman lived was cordoned off.
Some serving and former police officers also criticised the live television coverage of the unfolding drama, saying it could have jeopardised the operation.
But police said they did not cordon off the entire Lok Ching House building or evacuate anyone because they had taken sufficient precautions to ensure residents' safety before allowing them to freely enter and leave the building in Kai Ching Estate.
"When we confirmed which storey the suspect lived on, we closed all passages to that floor," said Chau Hin-hung, superintendent (operations) of Kowloon East Crime headquarters.
Chau said police phoned residents of all flats on the 10th floor - where suspect Li Tak-yan, 51, lived - telling them to stay indoors, lock their doors and lie on the floor.
"If we had recklessly asked residents to leave their homes and the suspect suddenly came out, there would have been a chance of a hostage situation," he said. "We took the safest approach to protect everyone."