Hong Kong policeman grabbed by neck, thrown down stairs before shooting suspect 3 times, force says
- Suspect grabbed officer’s neck so hard he apparently drew blood, acting superintendent says
- Alleged attacker was hit in abdomen and arm but is out of danger after undergoing surgery, his consulate says
A Hong Kong police officer believed his life was in danger when he shot a Filipino man three times after being grabbed by the neck and pushed down a flight of stairs while investigating a routine noise complaint at a residence on Peng Chau island, the force on Wednesday said.
The suspect, 43, was shot in the abdomen and arm on Tuesday night and was airlifted to a Chai Wan hospital in critical condition, police said. He was “out of danger” after undergoing surgery, the Philippine consulate told the Post.
According to Au Yeung Ki, acting superintendent of the marine regional headquarters for crime, the officer responded to a noise complaint at 10.40pm, the second in about two hours, at a flat on Wing On Street in the quiet village community.
The suspect, who was 1.8-metres tall (5 feet, 9 inches), opened the door and attacked the officer, grabbing his neck so hard he apparently drew blood, Au Yeung said. He pushed the policeman down the stairs, ran after him and continued the attack, he added.
The officer fired his gun three times, hitting the suspect in the abdomen and arm.
“The [suspect’s] behaviour was very brutal,” Au Yeung said. “According to our preliminary investigation, our colleague felt his life was being threatened, and he might be subjected to serious bodily harm. It was a proper use of gunfire at that moment.”