Hong Kong police apologise for ‘communication problems’ after broadcaster accuses officers of assaulting its driver in station
- Media outlet demands probe into alleged assault against driver, who was restrained outside Mong Kok Police Station on Monday
- Witness reports hearing police shout for man to stop throwing petrol bombs, before force opens fire with ‘unknown ammunition’
Hong Kong police on Monday apologised for “communication problems” after a local news outlet accused them of assaulting one of its drivers who it said had also been shot by a beanbag round during a protest in Kowloon.
Now News condemned the force for what it called the “violent treatment” of its contractor while he was detained for two hours inside Mong Kong Police Station in the early hours of Monday.
The broadcaster said he was only released and sent to hospital with a broken jaw after the force “confirmed he had a reasonable excuse to be on-site”.
Acting Chief Superintendent Kelvin Kong Wing-cheung of the police public relations branch said: “I express my apologies for the communication problems in the incident.
“The force will proactively investigate the allegations of excessive force, and hope to get more information from the incident when he gets better.”
Kong said the force’s Complaints Against Police Office was looking into the driver’s claim that several officers had beaten him around the head with batons inside the station, and would identify who was on duty as well as retrieve any CCTV footage from the station.
News footage shows the man writhing on the ground at about 1am, after he was said to be approaching his company’s vehicle parked near the police station, a frequent scene of clashes between officers and radical protesters.
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In a statement, Now News urged police to launch a probe into the alleged assault. “The channel expresses regret over the incident and condemns the police for abusive use of force,” it said.
Across the city, at least 36 people were sent to hospital during yet more violence on Sunday night.
Now TV is one of the largest pay-television providers in Hong Kong and run by PCCW, the flagship conglomerate of Richard Li Tzar-kai.
It said the driver was seen by a colleague on the ground, where he was holding his head in his hands.
“The driver was hurt and fell to the ground,” the news organisation said in a report.
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“Our video journalist approached to say he was a colleague, and was dispersed by riot police armed with shields and rifles.”
News footage shows a high-visibility vest near the fallen driver.
He was then surrounded by riot police and had his hands tied behind his back, before being taken inside the police station.
After being detained for over two hours, the driver was released and sent to Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei with a broken jaw, Now News said.
The broadcaster later said the driver had reported being beaten by officers, despite making it clear he was working for Now.
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“A few officers brought him to the stairwell and someone pushed his face to the wall,” it said in an updated reported aired on Monday.
“They also used batons to hit his head, arms and legs.”
Kong said the driver was only taken to the police station for his own safety because petrol bombs had been hurled in the area, insisting the man was not arrested in the whole process.
But he admitted there was “room for improvement” on why it took them more than two hours to call an ambulance for the driver.
According to a witness on site, officers shouting from inside the station had earlier told the man “not to throw petrol bombs”.
“Before [the driver] could react, police shot three rounds of unknown ammunition,” the witness added.
