Hong Kong protests: teenage boy who suffered gunshot wound in leg arrested on suspicion of taking part in riots and attacking police officer
- Boy, who is in a stable condition after an operation in Tuen Mun Hospital, is the second person to be hit by a live round since protests started
- Police insider says the shot was meant to have been fired into air and teenager was not targeted
A 14-year-old boy who suffered a gunshot wound in the leg from a live round fired by Hong Kong police has been arrested on suspicion of taking part in riots and attacking an officer, the force said on Saturday.
The boy, who was in a stable condition after an operation in Tuen Mun Hospital, was the second person to be hit by a live round since the anti-government protests began in June.
A police insider said the shot was meant to have been fired into the air and the boy was not targeted.
Video footage of the incident in Yuen Long on Friday night that circulated online showed the plain-clothes officer getting out of his private car after a quarrel with protesters. The officer pulled out his pistol after being attacked from behind by a masked man. He was quickly swamped by protesters who knocked him to the ground and beat him.
A gunshot was heard amid the chaos, dispersing some protesters, before a petrol bomb ignited at the officer’s feet. He ran away, beating out flames on his hands and legs, dropping his gun which caused the magazine to detach.