A female police officer this morning shot a man wielding a box cutter as he attempted to attack her and a colleague at Sham Shui Po MTR station this morning.
Speaking to reporters at a press briefing conducted at the station just after 11am, superintendent Chow Ngai-kong said the gunshot was fired at 7:40am by an officer from the Police Tactical Unit (PTU).
Chow said the officer and her colleague were on anti-vice patrol, and were conducting a stop and search operation at the time.
Just before 7:40am, they intercepted a suspicious-looking man standing inside the station near exit D2 and wearing a backpack across the front of his body.
As officers questioned the man, he allegedly took out a 15 centimeter-long utility knife and began waving it at the officers.
Despite repeated verbal warnings, Chow said the man attempted to attack the female officer who, believing her life was under threat, shot the man in the left-side of his abdomen.
Chow said they then arrested the alleged attacker, a 55-year-old man and Hong Kong ID card holder, and that he was rushed to Prince Margaret Hospital in critical condition.
He added that police will investigate whether or not the officer had followed police guidelines and regulations.
When asked by reporters whether or not it was appropriate for an officer to discharge a firearm inside a packed MTR station, Chow said the officers were well-trained, and that there were strict guidelines concerning the use of firearms, adding that “the officer at the scene had considered the situation before she opened fire.”
A video report by Apple Daily shows police cordoning off a part of the station concourse.
An eyewitness at the scene, identified only as Sandy, told the newspaper that she was heading towards exit D2 when she heard a loud bang and then saw a lot of people running, likening it to “a flock of chickens being chased by a dog.”
She then saw dozens of police officers run into the concourse, and hold down the suspect.
We’ll update this story as more information becomes available.
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