Hong Kong police officer sues police chief 3 years after being attacked during 2019 extradition bill protests

A Hong Kong police officer has sued the city’s police chief for damages after he was attacked during the 2019 protests and unrest.

Ho Yiu-wai filed the claim against the commissioner of police to the justice secretary on Monday.

According to a court document detailing the claim, Ho said he was assaulted by an “anti-police gang of three masked individuals during the anti-Extradition Bill unrest” on 30 August 2019 near the Kwai Chung Police Station.

Ho, in the application, said he “suffered severe chop injuries to various parts of his body,” and said that the incident was caused by “the negligence and/or breach of statutory duty” of the police chief.

Ho filed claims for damages for personal injuries sustained in the attack, and loss and damages suffered because of the assault. The officer did not state the amount he was seeking.

‘Blatant ambushes’

Then-commissioner of police Stephen Lo visited Ho the day after the attack.

Lo said during a police live stream at the time that Ho, who worked at the armoury, had been ambushed by his attackers as he was leaving work.

Hong Kong Police — Photo: Candice Chau/HKFP.

“I feel really sad and angry about the attack, these blatant ambushes of police officers are very despicable,” Lo said.

Protests erupted in June 2019 over a proposed amendment to the city’s extradition bill. They escalated into sometimes violent displays of dissent against police behaviour, amid calls for democracy and anger over Beijing’s encroachment.

Demonstrators demanded an independent probe into the police conduct, amnesty for those arrested and a halt to the characterisation of protests as “riots.”

According to the court diary, a hearing for the case was scheduled for February 3 next year.

Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team