Hong Kong police officer pulls out gun to arrest, subdue man who was yelling, holding knife at bus stop
- Man was holding knife and verbally abusing pedestrians at bus stop on Wo Yi Hop Road, police say
- Online video shows one officer grabs the man’s knife before two other policemen pin him down and handcuff him
A Hong Kong police officer drew his gun to arrest a man, 33, who was yelling at passers-by at a bus stop on Friday and had a knife.
Emergency personnel arrived at the bus stop on Wo Yi Hop Road in Kwai Chung soon after one of the witnesses notified police at 11.30am.
“The caller claimed the man was holding a knife estimated to be 18cm long and verbally abusing pedestrians,” police said, adding that the caller suspected the man was mentally ill.
Officers intercepted the man at the scene, but he became agitated and attempted to resist, according to the force.
A source familiar with the case said a police officer from the Emergency Unit drew out his service revolver as a precautionary measure to subdue the man.
A video posted online shows three officers surrounding the man and ordering him to drop the knife, which was kept in a plastic bag.
One of the officers is holding his handgun while the other two are carrying shields, according to the footage.
In the video, one officer grabs the man’s knife before the other two pin him down and handcuff him.
The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon, according to the force.
The suspect complained of suffering injuries and was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment.
The source said an initial investigation showed the man, who worked at a construction site, had no history of mental illness.
Detectives from the Kwai Tsing criminal investigation unit are handling the case.
Last year, police handled 10,122 reports of violent crime, a 14.6 per cent rise from 8,830 cases logged in 2022.
Hong Kong recorded a string of violent incidents in June last year, prompting the force to enhance patrols in busy areas.
2 women stabbed to death in brutal knife attack at Hong Kong shopping mall
Among the incidents was the fatal stabbing of two women at the Plaza Hollywood shopping centre in Diamond Hill on June 2. The suspect has been charged with two counts of murder.
The following day, a 39-year-old man with a history of mental illness was arrested less than an hour after he allegedly banged on his neighbours’ door and threatened them with a pair of knives in a housing complex in Mei Foo Sun Chuen in Lai Chi Kok.
Less than a week later on June 8, a woman, 43, who ran a vegetable stall at Ngau Chi Wan Market in Choi Hung, suffered injuries to her back and limbs after she was stabbed in a pedestrian underpass connected to Choi Hung MTR station.
