Shotgun Footage Stirs Storm, Police Defend Officer

Footage of a policeman aiming a shotgun at a crowd of protesters has led to severe criticism for the force, but the police have defended the officer, saying the officer had come under sustained attack and felt his life was in danger at that time.

The incident happened on Tuesday night as clashes broke out between anti-extradition protesters and police near Kwai Chung Police Station, hours after the government confirmed it had charged 45 people over rowdy protests on Sunday.

The clashes started after some armed officers emerged from the police station and protesters started throwing things at them.

Some of the officers became isolated from the rest in the melee as they entered a bus terminus beside Kwai Fong MTR Station.

The police said the sergeant and another officer were surrounded by what they called "a large group of radical protesters throwing objects at them". It said the sergeant felt that his life was under threat, so he raised his shotgun loaded with bean bag rounds to be on guard.

The footage seems to show that the sergeant had his finger on the trigger a number of times, although he didn't fire.

The police said reinforcements sent to help the officers also came under attack and some "irritant liquid" was thrown at them. It said 24 officers were injured in the clashes and five of them needed hospital treatment.

Commenting on footage of the incident, the director of Human Rights Monitor, Law Yuk-kai, said while he gives the officer the benefit of the doubt for what was a heated moment, he thinks what the officer did was very dangerous.

"The officer, which we can see in the footage, seems to suggest that he is not very sure of what he was doing," said Law.

"He had at least not made any clear warning at that moment, and that is something we should consider about. And his behaviour is quite dangerous as if he had accidentally triggered the gun, it may have led to serious injuries or death," he said.

The Civic Party said it has written to the police chief, Stephen Lo, demanding an explanation as to whether the officer was ready to shoot at protesters.

Party leader Alvin Yeung said usually shotguns are used to counter armed robbers and the like. "But we understand protesters were not holding any weapons as such," he said.