Hong Kong police sergeant slashed across face with razor during arrest of suspect

Off-duty officer was trying to detain 72-year-old man accused of damaging election banner in Sheung Shui on Thursday

Suspect arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and assaulting a police officer

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An off-duty police sergeant was slashed in the face in Hong Kong as he tried to arrest a suspect on Thursday morning. Photo: Handout

Published: 8:11am, 21 Nov 2019Updated: 11:39am, 21 Nov 2019

An off-duty police sergeant was slashed in the face with a razor in Hong Kong on Thursday as he attempted to arrest a man suspected of damaging the banner of a district council election candidate.

It is the second blade attack on an officer in recent weeks, after a policeman was wounded in the neck at Kwun Tong MTR station by a man wielding a box cutter on October 13.

A police source said the 72-year-old suspect in Thursday’s case was arrested after marking a 10cm cross on the sergeant’s face with the razor at around 6.15am in Sheung Shui.

The razor said to be used by the suspect in the attack in Sheung Shui. Photo: Handout

The source said: “The sergeant was on the way to work this morning and passed by the Junior Police Call club house in Sheung Shui Wai. He arrested a male for attempting to damage an [election] banner of the pro-establishment camp by razor.”

“The suspect struggled and attacked the sergeant.”

Both the officer and the suspect were sent to the nearby North District Hospital for treatment. An investigation is under way.