Hong Kong man arrested on suspicion of attacking mother, brother with box cutter in heated vaccine row
- Thirty-one-year-old man suspected of attacking family after changing his mind about getting vaccinated
- Mother, brother sustain minor injuries after suspect allegedly injured pair with box cutter
Police arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of attacking his mother and brother with a box cutter at a Hong Kong public housing flat on Wednesday after he refused to get vaccinated.
Emergency personnel were called to the family’s home in Wah Mei Lau at Kwun Tong Garden Estate on Ngau Tau Kok Road soon after 2.30pm, when the alleged attack occurred.
A police source said the 31-year-old man was originally persuaded by his family to get vaccinated because of the city’s worsening coronavirus outbreak.
“But he refused to take the vaccine and became emotional. At that moment, he grabbed a box cutter, wielding the weapon and injuring his mother and younger brother,” the insider said.
According to the force, the man’s 61-year-old mother sustained a minor injury to her right forearm, while his brother, aged 30, had a cut wound on the left hand. The suspect also suffered a minor cut to his right ear.
All three were conscious when they were taken to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong for treatment.
Police arrested the elder brother for the alleged attack, with the suspect still being held for questioning as of Wednesday evening.
The police insider said the man was unemployed and had frequently argued with his family over trivial matters.
Officers from the Sau Mau Ping criminal investigation unit are handling the case.
Hong Kong confirmed 1,161 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, the fourth straight day of record caseloads. It is the first time daily infections have reached a four-digit figure since the pandemic began.
As of 8pm on Tuesday, 80.8 per cent of Hong Kong’s population over the age of 11 have received their first dose of the vaccine.
Among the city’s elderly residents, 61.9 per cent of people aged between 70 and 79 have received their first vaccine dose, but only 33.3 per cent of Hongkongers aged 80 or above have taken their first jab.
