Man's Death Not The Fault Of Officers: Chris Tang

Police Commissioner Chris Tang has defended the force's handling of a man who died in hospital following his arrest last week, saying his officers acted in accordance with guidelines and he couldn't see that they had done anything wrong.

Tang was asked about the incident at a meeting of Yuen Long District Council on Tuesday.

Officers intercepted the man on Nathan Road on Thursday and a violent struggle ensued between the suspect and officers. The man was taken to hospital but died on Friday.

The police chief told councillors that the non-Chinese man had been smashing things up and later resisted arrest.

He said that officers at the scene believed the suspect may have had a mental disorder, so they decided to call an ambulance to send him to hospital.

Tang added that a preliminary medical report showed that the deceased did not have any fractures or broken bones, and that they were waiting for a postmortem to determine the exact cause of death.

He then told district councillors that he believes his officers acted in accordance with procedures and guidelines, and at this point, he couldn't see any wrongdoing on their part.