A student who was shot by police with a live round at close range on Tuesday has stabilised following an operation, according to the Hospital Authority.
Tsang Chi-kin, an 18-year-old form 5 student, was shot in Tsuen Wan after a scuffle with an officer.
The officer rushed towards a group of protesters attacking another officer whilst pointing a pistol, but was also surrounded. Tsang used a metal rod to hit the surrounded officer, before he fired the shot.
【十一荃灣開槍完整片段無修剪版】無警示近距離開槍 延誤救治至少三分鐘
【十一荃灣開槍完整片段無修剪版】無警示近距離開槍 延誤救治至少三分鐘歡迎轉載廣傳（警務處除外）轉載時請註明出處為：城大學生會城市廣播 / City Broadcasting Channel, CityUSU較早前盧偉聰召開記者會，回應於十月一日荃灣示威中，有警員近距離槍擊示威者心口事件。他聲稱「警員曾警告但無效，生命受嚴重威脅，逼於無奈使用佩槍，制止暴力襲擊，做法合法及合理。」他又聲稱在場警員隨即為傷者止血及施救。本台記者從另一角度拍攝到事發經過，發現與警方描述有所出入。盧偉聰於記者會聲稱警員曾向示威者警告但無效，而警員感到生命受嚴重威脅，逼於無奈使用佩槍。然而，片段顯示警員舉槍時先指向前方示威者頭部，然後指向右方的示威者於不足一米的距離內向左胸開槍，整個過程不足一秒，並未有向在場市民作任何警示。盧又聲稱有人向受傷倒地的傷者及警員投擲汽油彈。然而錄影片段中只有一枚汽油彈於警員位置五米外落地，而在場警員亦無為中槍倒地的傷者進行保護或急救，只站在一旁及制服一名示威者，期間該警員更聲稱：「First-aid 我都有啦」。盧又聲稱在場警員隨即為傷者止血及施救，但片段中顯示傷者中槍倒地後至少三分鐘，除了正在制服示威者的警員外，在旁六位警員仍沒有施救，期間中槍者多次高喊「救命」，惟警員仍沒有理會，直至三分鐘後方有警員低頭查看傷者。片段亦顯示中槍後至少五分鐘，仍未有警方急救員到場施救。[Full Footage of Hong Kong Police Shoot a Protester (No edited version)] shoot at close range without warning, delayed treatment for at least three minutesEarlier, Commission of Police, Stephen Lo responded in a press release that an officer fired point blank at a protester in the 1st of October protest. Lo claimed, “the officer had warned the protesters but to no avail and he had felt that his life was in grave danger. He had no choice but to stop violence with his gun; all is legal and legitimate.” He also claimed that the officers IMMEDIATELY treated the victim’s wounds to save him. Our reporters recorded the incident from a different angle, which seems to speak differently of these claims.First, Commission Lo argues that the protesters had not heeded the police’s warnings, causing the officer to “feel that he was in grave danger” and needed to use his gun. However, footage shows that the officer first points his gun to protester’s head in front of him, then to his right, firing at a protester in less than 1 meter. This transition lasted less than a second, making it impossible for any ‘warning’ to have been issued.Second, Lo argues that someone had thrown a petrol bomb at the fallen protesters and police. However, footage reveals that there had only been one such object thrown, falling onto somewhere 5 meters away from them. No police officers could be seen doing anything for the protester shot at all, but were busy subduing another protester or just watching. An officer even claimed, “I have first-aid too!”Also, Lo argued that the police had IMMEDIATELY treated his wounds, but footage reveals that the shot protester was left on the ground for AT LEAST 3 minutes completely ignored. The shot protester was screaming “SAVE ME”, yet the police officer had stayed clear away from him. Only after 3 minutes had there been an officer checking on him. For well over 5 minutes, no police officer could be seen treating his wounds.
Posted by 城市廣播 City Broadcasting Channel (CBC) on Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Tsang was shot in his left lung – three centimetres from his heart – and was in critical condition when hospitalised. The bullet was removed during an operation.
Meeting press late on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Stephen Lo defended the officer’s move, saying he gave a warning.
“My colleague was under a close-range attack. He made a decision in a split-second because he felt his life and his colleague’s were being threatened,” he said. “We believe [the action] was reasonable and legal.”
Asked why the officer chose to shoot at a close, point-blank range, Lo said: “The distance was not decided by us. The assailant was getting close. [The officer] had no choice but to use his weapon on his hand to stop this.”
Police previously said the student was shot “near his shoulder” instead of his lung.
Lo said that police were not medics and they did not have X-ray machines to determine where the bullet entered.
“We did not give incorrect information. We can only give information that we knew,” he said.
Lo also said that police fired five warning shots at other protest sites on Tuesday.
The incident occurred during citywide unrest as the People’s Republic of China celebrated its 70th anniversary. The city has seen 17 consecutive weeks of protest sparked by a now-scrapped extradition bill which would have enabled fugitive transfers to China.
Amnesty International Hong Kong Director Tam Man-kei said the incident marked an alarming development in terms of the police response to the protests.
“The Hong Kong authorities must launch a prompt and effective investigation into the sequence of events that left a teenager fighting for his life in hospital. Police should only use lethal force in response to an imminent threat of death or serious injury and only as a last resort,” he said.
“We are urging the Hong Kong authorities to urgently review their approach in policing the protests in order to de-escalate the situation and prevent more lives being put at risk.”
Student protest
Hundreds of students and alumni of the Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College, where Tsang studies, rallied outside the school on Wednesday in support of him and in criticism of the police.
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Posted by Stand News 立場新聞 on Tuesday, 1 October 2019
Chan, a student who is in the same school year as Tsang, told Stand News that he did not accept Steven Lo’s defence, saying officers could have fired a warning shot towards the sky: “The incident angered more secondary school students who will be more determined to boycott the government,” he said.
The school’s principal Tse Yun-ming invited alumni into the school to speak. Tse said the student would not be disciplined, but he cannot comment before knowing more about the incident.
Several alumni were angered that the school did not condemn the police for shooting the student.
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