Hong Kong pair accused of assaulting police acquitted after magistrate rules officers used ‘unnecessary’ force
- Magistrate rules officers needlessly resorted to physically restraining one defendant, inappropriately escalated verbal confrontation with another
- One defendant says he is considering pursuing private prosecution against officer
Clerks Lo Kam-ling, 42, and Lee Sheung-chun, 32, were each cleared of one count of assaulting police in Sha Tin Court on Wednesday over the confrontation outside Tai Wai MTR station on the night of September 1, 2019.
Police were patrolling across the city that evening after anti-government protesters blocked roads and disrupted traffic to the airport throughout the day.
The prosecution accused Lo of hitting a superintendent in the arm using a folded umbrella, while alleging Lee pushed another constable during the subsequent altercation. Both officers have been granted anonymity in the proceedings.
However, video footage of the alleged offences showed the superintendent bumped into Lo while chasing another man, causing her to hit the officer by accident.
The superintendent then pushed Lo against a wall, a reaction challenged by Lee, who was walking past the scene with his fiancée. The constable intervened and shoved Lee away, while pushing his fiancée in the chest.
