Plastic Strap Mistaken As Metal Ring, Say Police

Police have denied that a riot police officer had added a metal ring to his baton to increase its impact, during the clearance operation in Yuen Long on Saturday.

A police spokesman said the ring-like object, that had been photographed by the media, was just a standard plastic strap that is used to attach a cord.

He said it had slipped from the baton's base to its tip, thereby creating a misunderstanding.

The controversy erupted after media footage of riot police officers clobbering some protesters inside the Yuen Long MTR station seemed to show one policemen had a baton with a ring attached to it.

This gave way to allegations that the officer had made illegal alterations to make the baton more powerful. The police then issued a statement saying they would look into the report.

The officials had said then that the department has strict guidelines on the purchase of equipment and does not allow police officers to make unauthorised additions.

Others, however, are not convinced.

Icarus Wong from the Civil Rights Observer said, even if it were a plastic strap, the impact would still be powerful and the baton's design should be reviewed.

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