A woman, reportedly wanting to end her own life, was arrested for snatching a police officer’s gun in Tung Chung Tuesday.
Police released CCTV footage of the incident, which shows the woman, dressed in all-black and wearing a pair of flip-flops, loitering outside the Lantau North police station and approaching an officer from behind while he was giving directions to a person.
The woman stands still for a couple of seconds and eyes the gun, which is strapped in the officer’s belt. She holds her arm out as if pondering her decision, before making a grab for a police officer’s pistol.
The two get into a brief tussle when the officer notices the woman. Eventually, he is able to subdue her by clutching onto her arms and manages to retrieve his gun.
Read more: Officer who shot protester ‘had no bad intentions,’ thought gun would get snatched
The woman did not show much resistance when he dragged her into the police station.
Police believe the 33-year-old intended to commit suicide with the officer’s service weapon, as the woman, reportedly suffering from depression, told her family earlier in the day that she wanted to end her life, HK01 reported.
Crime squad detectives are investigating the case. The woman will face charges of robbery for attempting to snatch a firearm, according to the police.
Last year, a 16-year-old teenager, troubled by mental illness, tried to grab a policeman’s pistol at a hospital in Tuen Mun when medical personnel stopped him from leaving his ward. He was detained for 99 days before being sentenced to one-year probation, according to local media.
