Police Deny Pushing Student Off Car Park

The police have strenuously denied online speculation that riot officers pushed a University of Science and Technology student off the third floor of a car park in Tseung Kwan O, after a fall in the early hours of Monday that left the 22-year-old with life-threatening injuries.

The student remained in a critical condition with head injuries late on Tuesday as police addressed the circumstances of his fall at a press briefing, insisting that there were no police officers in the car park at the time

Senior Superintendent Wu Ka-yan said preliminary evidence suggests the student fell between 12.45am and 1am, but they've found no security camera footage that captured the fall. He said it's also unclear how the student got to the car park in the first place.

He said it's possible that the student may have jumped over a short wall at the third-floor level of the car park, mistakenly thinking that there was a platform right outside, only to fall to the second floor podium

Police also played down the possibility that the student may have fallen while running away from tear gas, saying while officers did fire tear gas to try to disperse people throwing objects from the building, they had done so from a distance of at least 120 metres.

Senior Superintendent Foo Yat-ting said police did nothing to obstruct or hamper first aid work at the scene, nor did officers delay the arrival or departure of the ambulance.

Police also said they were saddened by the incident, and expressed their deep sympathies to both the student and his family. Chief Executive Carrie Lam also expressed similar sentiments.

HKUST Wei Shyy, visited the injured student along with several other academics and a student leader. The university chief is also holding a forum for school staff and students on Wednesday to discuss the matter.