A prominent pro-democracy lawmaker has urged Hong Kong police commissioner Stephen Lo to hand over details of a police officer who pepper sprayed him in the face.
In a short viral video taken from an Apple Daily livestream, Eddie Chu can be seen having a heated discussion with riot police during Sunday’s protest in Causeway Bay.
Seconds later, one of the officers can be pepper spraying Chu directly in the face.
A #hkpolice officer suddenly pepper sprayed legislator Chu Hoi-dick’s face when Chu’s asking police to stop their violence! #929GlobalAntiTotalitarianism #hkpolicebrutality #HKPoliceState pic.twitter.com/WRZufp6vB7
— Demosistō 香港眾志 😷 (@demosisto) September 29, 2019
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Chu said he was speaking to the officer about a passerby who had been arrested, and wanted to ask officers why that specific person was targeted.
He said he was speaking to one of the officers, when another officer wearing a helmet and sunglasses suddenly walked towards him and pepper sprayed him directly in the nose.
“He was really close, so it went into my mouth and nose, anyone who’s been pepper sprayed knows it will give you some breathing difficulties, so for a moment I had trouble breathing, but fortunately I was taken aside to a safe spot.”
He said he was speaking to one of the officers when suddenly, another officer wearing a helmet and sunglasses walked towards him and pepper sprayed him directly in the nose.
“He was really close, so it went into my mouth and nose, anyone who’s been pepper sprayed knows it will give you some breathing difficulties, so for a moment I had trouble breathing, but fortunately I was taken to aside to a safe spot.”
Tensions already rising this Sunday. Broad daylight and police pepper sprayed protestors outside Sogo in Causeway Bay. Others helped clean their eyes out. @CBSNews is here. #HongKong #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/eZ9MewX716
— Ramy Inocencio 英若明 (@RamyInocencio) September 29, 2019
Chu says he wasn’t doing anything illegal at the time and wanted to know why the officer pepper sprayed him.
The lawmaker also said the officer in question didn’t have a police number or warrant card on his uniform, so he was therefore unable to identify him.
In his letter to Lo, Chu urged him to provide details such as the officer’s English and Chinese name, police number, and any other details.
Chu has given the police until October 4 to provide the information, otherwise he will consider suing the police force.
Hong Kong’s police have been under fire for their handling of the city’s protests, now in their 17th week. A main complaint among Hongkongers is that officers on numerous occasions have failed to properly display their warrant cards or police identification numbers on their uniforms, making it difficult for people to file complaints if they want to report an offense.
