Hong Kong politician sues policeman who shot student with live bullet
Hong Kong politician, Ted Hui, on Thursday filed a private case against a policeman who shot a student with live ammunition during protests in November, broadcaster RTHK reported.
According to reports, the Democratic Party politician accused the officer, Kwan Ka-wing, of either attempted murder or shooting with intent to cause grievious bodily harm.
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Both offences carry the maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Chow Pak-kwan, the 21-year-old, who was shot at as the city-wide strike broke out on Nov. 11, was arrested for unlawful assembly.
Hui said he was pepper-sprayed at close range as he approached riot police during New Year’s Day protests on Jan. 1.
He said that he was not targeting the force as a whole, but wanted to ensure that those officers who committed crimes don’t go unpunished.
“We are in a system where we find police officers free of punishment when they actually committed a crime. The government is not prosecuting, so we want him to be held accountable,” he said.
Police said the traffic officer who fired his gun stuck to guidelines on the use of firearms and he believed protesters were targeting his pistol.
However, Police also asserted that the traffic officer who fired his gun did not have bad intentions to hurt anyone.
The embattled Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, continued to support the police force and refused to conduct an independent inquiry into their conduct, leading to over six months of anti-government protests.
