Hong Kong teen who was shot in chest charged with attacking police

Police say the teenager who was the first victim of police gunfire in Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests has been charged with attacking police and rioting.

Protesters and students stand outside the Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College during a demonstration held to show solidarity with an injured student.

Protesters and students stand outside the Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College during a demonstration held to show solidarity with an injured student. Source: EPA

A teenager - who was the first victim of police gunfire in Hong Kong's months-long pro-democracy protests - has been charged with attacking police and rioting, police say.

The shooting occurred during widespread violence across the semi-autonomous Chinese territory that marred China's National Day celebrations and has deepened anger against police, who have been accused of being heavy-handed against protesters.

The officer fired as 18-year-old Tsang Chi-kin struck him with a metal rod on Tuesday.

The government has said Mr Chi-kin's condition was stable after surgery.
Riot policemen march on a street in Hong Kong.
Riot policemen march on a street in Hong Kong. Source: AAP
The case against Mr Chi-kin was heard by a court on Thursday afternoon.

He was among seven people charged with rioting, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Thousands of people rallied on Wednesday to demand police accountability for the shooting, with many saying the use of lethal weaponry was unjustified.

Pockets of black-clad youths vented their anger late on Wednesday night, lobbing gas bombs at police quarters, vandalising subway stations and blocking traffic in several districts.

Police responded with tear gas in some areas.
More than 1,000 students marched on Thursday at the Chinese University in a continuing show of support for Mr Chi-kin and vowing to keep up their fight for more democratic freedoms.

Many students felt that firing at Mr Chi-kin's chest, close to his heart, was an attempt to kill him.

But police defended the shooting as "reasonable and lawful" as the officer had feared for his life and that of his colleagues.

Videos on social media of the shooting showed a group of black-clad protesters with bars and umbrellas clashing with police.

They closed in on a lone officer, who opened fire as Mr Chi-kin came at him with a rod.

Just as another protester rushed in to try to drag Mr Chi-kin away but was tackled by an officer, a gasoline bomb landed in the middle of the group of officers in an explosion of flames.

The shooting marked an escalation in violence in the protests that have besieged one of the world's top financial hubs since June over a now-withdrawn extradition bill.

The movement has snowballed into an anti-China campaign amid anger over what many view as Beijing's interference in the autonomy that was granted Hong Kong when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

More than 1,750 people have been detained so far.


Share
Published 3 October 2019 5:54pm
Updated 3 October 2019 7:39pm


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world