Hong Kong police ‘arrest suspected triad member’ hours after officer drew gun in attempt to stop hit-and-run driver
- BMW driver rams vehicle into multiple cars and hits passer-by before fleeing scene
- Officers arrest registered owner of black car, but driver still on the run, according to police source
Hong Kong police arrested a suspected triad member hours after a traffic officer drew his gun in an attempt to stop a driver who rammed his BMW car into multiple vehicles and hit a passer-by before fleeing the scene, the Post learned on Tuesday.
A police source on Tuesday said the suspected Wo Shing Wo triad member, 31, was picked up in Yuen Long on Monday night and was the registered owner of the black BMW, but he was not behind the wheel during the furious driving incident.
“The driver involved has been identified. An initial investigation suggests that he is also a Wo Shing Wo triad member,” the insider said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the driver was still on the run and the BMW had not been located.
The source said officers believed the car was being used to deliver illegal drugs in Cheung Sha Wan shortly after midday on Monday.
Traffic officers initially gave chase in a police car and a motorcycle at around 12.13pm after spotting the driver of the BMW jumping a red light.
The BMW was caught in traffic on Castle Peak Road near the junction with Tai Nan West Street. A police officer then drew his revolver and pointed it at the motorist, who refused to leave the vehicle.
“A policeman pointed his gun at [the driver in the car], but he acted as if police did not exist,” one witness said.
An online video shows another officer striking the window of the right front door of the car with a retractable baton several times before it drove off and rammed into other vehicles.
The BMW crashed into two taxis and a private car before mounting the pavement while turning into Tai Nan West Street and hitting a female pedestrian, according to the force.
After briefly going off-road, the car returned to Tai Nan West Street, travelling against the traffic before it sped away. Police said no passengers were in the vehicle at the time.
The female pedestrian, 41, suffered leg injuries and complained of dizziness. Two taxi drivers, aged 60 and 65, complained of neck pain after their vehicles were hit.
The woman and one of the taxi drivers were sent to Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po. The other cabby did not require hospital treatment.
Police have classified the incident as furious driving resulting in injuries. Officers from the Sham Shui Po district crime squad are handling the case.
On June 10, two officers opened fire on a Lexus car and arrested its driver after a bungled escape attempt on Princess Margaret Road in Ho Man Tin that ended with a Mercedes-Benz and a police vehicle being hit.
Officers seized 42 grams (1.5 ounces) of suspected cocaine, packaged in 80 bags, allegedly found in the car.
