Police Fired Tear Gas Into Car Park, Inquest Hears

A police officer told the Coroner's Court on Tuesday that his colleagues had fired tear gas into a car park in Tseung Kwan O around the time student Chow Tsz-lok was found lying inside with serious head injuries.

Senior inspector Wong Ka-lun, who led a team of riot officers during last year's social unrest, said officers fired three rounds of tear gas at the upper floors of the car park at the Sheung Tak Estate at around 1am on November 4 last year.

Wong, who was then a commander of a platoon of officers from the police's Kowloon East Emergency Unit, said the tear gas was aimed at dispersing protesters who had been throwing hard objects at his team.

Chow, 22, was found on the second floor of the car park with massive head injuries and he died in hospital four days later.

Speculation had been rife that he had fallen from the third floor of the car park, either while trying to escape tear gas or as he was being chased by riot officers.

On Monday, police told the inquest that officers had patrolled the car park earlier that night, but were not inside around the time when the University of Science and Technology student was found injured.

Chow's father also gave evidence on Monday, describing his son as a quiet person who had gone out on the night in question wearing a black T-shirt and carrying a backpack.

Speaking to the media outside the court, the student's father urged anyone who saw what happened to his son to contact him personally so the family could "find out the truth".

The inquest is expected to continue for more than three weeks.