Boy Shot By Police Sent To Training Centre

A 15-year-old boy who was shot by the police during the 2019 protests has been sent to a training centre after pleading guilty to rioting.

The court heard that a plainclothes officer was surrounded by a crowd in Yuen Long on the night of October 4, after around 200 people gathered in the area to protest against the government's anti-mask law.

When the policeman got out of his car, someone grabbed his neck from behind and attempted to snatch his gun.

He then fired a shot which hit the defendant, who was 14 at the time, in the thigh.

Lawrence Lok, the teenager's lawyer, said his client was remorseful and his probation report was positive.

The boy did not blame the officer for firing the shot and felt that he deserved to be hit, Lok said, adding that his client believed he would have made the same decision had he been surrounded by a violent crowd.

The lawyer also asked the court to consider his client’s young age, saying the teenager had been influenced by online calls and the sentiment of the crowd.

In a mitigation letter presented to Fanling Magistracy, the boy's father said he would support his son and help him integrate back into society.

In sentencing, magistrate Don So said the defendant had to receive a criminal record and needed to be sent to a training centre, considering the seriousness of the case.