Family members of a 55-year-old renovation worker who was shot by a police officer are appealing for witnesses, as they accuse the police force of failing to investigate thoroughly.
Chow King-tang remains in hospital having been shot in the abdomen, and has been told he may never walk again. He was shot during a stop-and-search operation at Sham Shui Po MTR station on November 7.
Police said Chow had tried to attack the officer with a cutter he was holding at the time. Chow’s boss, surnamed Tam, said he carried a cutter every day for his profession. He said every building worker had a cutter with which to cut plastic sheets: “It’s very normal.”
“It is not fair,” said Chow’s son at a press conference held on Wednesday alongside Democratic Party lawmaker James To. “The police have yet to give us a reasonable explanation.”
Chow was once jailed for seven days in 2013 for attacking a police officer, though his son said he was not aware of the case.
Appeal for witnesses
“What happened that day remains a mystery,” said Chow’s son, adding that the CCTV footage was blurry. ” Did [the officer] have to open fire in that situation? Couldn’t [a less forceful weapon] have been used, such as a baton or pepper spray?”
Chow has been transferred out of intensive care into a regular ward, but the police have yet to take his statement as he is still unable to eat or move. His son also said he may not be able to walk again owing to a spinal injury.
Chow’s son said he received a call from police on the day the incident took place and gave a statement. He added that he found it “problematic” that the officer reporting the case told him not to pass any information on to lawmakers or lawyers.
Tam said the man had worked for him for more than ten years and he was a responsible person. On the day of the incident, he was supposed to meet Chow in Tsuen Wan and go to Gold Coast in Tuen Mun for work.
Lawmaker James To accused the police of failing to seek out witnesses and thoroughly examine the case. He said they relied only on a statement from an officer and a blurry surveillance video.
“Give them justice – our society needs the truth,” he said, appealing to witnesses to come forward.
A police spokesperson said the police was thoroughly looking into the case, which they say included conducting forensic work, and taking statements from witnesses on the date of the incident and thereafter.
Last week, Police Commissioner Stephen Lo had said that the officer had made a correct decision in deciding to shoot.
