Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Court #CoronersInquest
Police Testimonies Raise Further Doubts: Police See Looking For "Rioters" a "Higher-Level Concern" Than Checking on Injured #AlexChow
During the Anti-Extradition Law Protests in 2019, on November 4, university student Alex Chow Tsz-lok fell from height at Sheung Tak Carpark, when the police were dispersing civilians in the area. The cause of Chow's fall remained unknown and the 22-year-old young man passed away at 8:09 am on November 8, 2019.
Nov 18, 2020 was the third day into the coroner's inquest. Here are some key findings:
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1. Police Are Uncertain About Whether They Have Shot Someone at the Carpark
East Kowloon Emergency Unit Assistant Commander Pang Tin-chi and officer Chun Tsz-kit admitted firing one sponge grenade and one beanbag round, respectively, to the second and the third levels of Sheung Tak Carpark after midnight on Nov 14, 2019.
They were uncertain whether they had shot someone.
Pang changed his testimony after being questioned by the jury. He corrected that he fired at the second but not the third storey of the carpark. He said he counted the storeys by his bare eyes.
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2. Police See "Eradicating" "Hidden Rioters" of a "Higher- Level Concern" Than Checking on the Injured
On the second day of the inquest, then-East Kowloon Emergency Unit (Squad No. 4) Commander and senior inspector Wong Kar-lun said he saw firemen and voluntary first aiders handling an injured person when he was carrying out the dispersal operation at the carpark.
Coming to the third day of the hearing, Wong was questioned by Barrister Cheng Suk-yee representing Alex Chow's family.
Cheng asked Wong if he had given a thought on how the ambulance carrying the injured could leave the carpark for the hospital, after seeing the injured person and knowing that the roadblock had earlier prevented the ambulance from entering the carpark.
Wong said, "I had some higher-level concern at that moment. I had to eradicate the danger of having violent protesters hidden somewhere, in order to ensure safety."
Wong said he did not pay attention to the condition of the injured person and did not know the urgency of the situation.
Wong later admitted that he did not report the discovery of the injured civilian (Alex Chow) to his superiors until he returned to Tseung Kwan O Station at 2am.
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3. Six-minute Lag Between Commander's Watch and the Surveillance Camera
Barrister Cheng representing the victim's family continued to question senior inspector Wong Kar-lun, "Have you ever found out why your watch and the surveillance camera had a 6- minute lag?"
Wong replied, "I used the watch before. It's accurate." Wong re-confirmed that 37 officers of his team entered the carpark that day.
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4. Police Admit Their Tear Gas Grenades Might Have Hit Some Vehicles
According to the Cable News footage shown on the second day of the hearing, a fire engine left after failing to enter Sheung Tak from Tong Min Street .
Barrister Cheng asked if senior inspector Wong was aware of this. Wong said he saw the fire engine failing to enter but did not know that it left.
Wong said on the second day that he received an order to leave the carpark when conducting dispersal operation on the third floor.
On the third day of the hearing, Wong, however, changed his testimony, "I now recalled that it was not the third floor, but the upper second floor."
After being asked by the jury, Wong clarified that the injured person was located on the lower second floor.
(To be continued)
Source: InMedia; Stand News #Nov18
https://bit.ly/38Q2PyM
Police Testimonies Raise Further Doubts: Police See Looking For "Rioters" a "Higher-Level Concern" Than Checking on Injured #AlexChow
During the Anti-Extradition Law Protests in 2019, on November 4, university student Alex Chow Tsz-lok fell from height at Sheung Tak Carpark, when the police were dispersing civilians in the area. The cause of Chow's fall remained unknown and the 22-year-old young man passed away at 8:09 am on November 8, 2019.
Nov 18, 2020 was the third day into the coroner's inquest. Here are some key findings:
========
1. Police Are Uncertain About Whether They Have Shot Someone at the Carpark
East Kowloon Emergency Unit Assistant Commander Pang Tin-chi and officer Chun Tsz-kit admitted firing one sponge grenade and one beanbag round, respectively, to the second and the third levels of Sheung Tak Carpark after midnight on Nov 14, 2019.
They were uncertain whether they had shot someone.
Pang changed his testimony after being questioned by the jury. He corrected that he fired at the second but not the third storey of the carpark. He said he counted the storeys by his bare eyes.
========
2. Police See "Eradicating" "Hidden Rioters" of a "Higher- Level Concern" Than Checking on the Injured
On the second day of the inquest, then-East Kowloon Emergency Unit (Squad No. 4) Commander and senior inspector Wong Kar-lun said he saw firemen and voluntary first aiders handling an injured person when he was carrying out the dispersal operation at the carpark.
Coming to the third day of the hearing, Wong was questioned by Barrister Cheng Suk-yee representing Alex Chow's family.
Cheng asked Wong if he had given a thought on how the ambulance carrying the injured could leave the carpark for the hospital, after seeing the injured person and knowing that the roadblock had earlier prevented the ambulance from entering the carpark.
Wong said, "I had some higher-level concern at that moment. I had to eradicate the danger of having violent protesters hidden somewhere, in order to ensure safety."
Wong said he did not pay attention to the condition of the injured person and did not know the urgency of the situation.
Wong later admitted that he did not report the discovery of the injured civilian (Alex Chow) to his superiors until he returned to Tseung Kwan O Station at 2am.
=========
3. Six-minute Lag Between Commander's Watch and the Surveillance Camera
Barrister Cheng representing the victim's family continued to question senior inspector Wong Kar-lun, "Have you ever found out why your watch and the surveillance camera had a 6- minute lag?"
Wong replied, "I used the watch before. It's accurate." Wong re-confirmed that 37 officers of his team entered the carpark that day.
========
4. Police Admit Their Tear Gas Grenades Might Have Hit Some Vehicles
According to the Cable News footage shown on the second day of the hearing, a fire engine left after failing to enter Sheung Tak from Tong Min Street .
Barrister Cheng asked if senior inspector Wong was aware of this. Wong said he saw the fire engine failing to enter but did not know that it left.
Wong said on the second day that he received an order to leave the carpark when conducting dispersal operation on the third floor.
On the third day of the hearing, Wong, however, changed his testimony, "I now recalled that it was not the third floor, but the upper second floor."
After being asked by the jury, Wong clarified that the injured person was located on the lower second floor.
(To be continued)
Source: InMedia; Stand News #Nov18
https://bit.ly/38Q2PyM