Jump to content

To shoot or not to shoot?


Jman888
 Share

Recommended Posts

Police probe fatal shooting of 21-year-old by officers
Delivery worker shot in head and neck while wielding paper cutter at estranged wife and others. Security chief pledges thorough investigation
Clifford Lo and Ernest Kao, South China Morning Post
PUBLISHED : Monday, 05 May, 2014, 10:03am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 06 May, 2014, 8:50am
An internal inquiry will examine why two police officers gunned down a 21-year-old man who was threatening his estranged wife and others with a paper cutter - the first fatal shooting by officers in two years.
The city's security chief has promised a thorough investigation of the killing of delivery worker Ho Sai-tung and says police guidelines allow the use of firearms only to prevent "severe crime".
Police said Ho was holding a security guard at knifepoint and was about to attack his wife and a policewoman when two officers shot him at Hong Nga Court, in Lam Tin.
A police source said the man, said to have been extremely agitated, ignored repeated warnings from officers before he was shot at three times from a distance of approximately one metre.
"The man suffered gunshot wounds and fell onto his wife and the policewoman," the source said. "An initial examination showed two of the shots hit his forehead and neck."
Ho was pronounced dead at the scene.
Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok said police were concerned about the case and that the findings of its investigation would be submitted to the coroner for an inquest.
The police force had very strict rules on the use of firearms, he said. "According to police guidelines, the use of firearms is to stop severe crime from happening," he said.
Asked whether it had been necessary to fire three shots at the man, the police source said that question would form part of the internal investigation. But initial investigations had shown that "the two officers were justified in opening fire as the lives of the two women were in danger". It is understood an initial report will be submitted to police management within 48 hours.
Yesterday's drama began when Ho went looking for his 21-year-old wife, who had left their home in Sau Mau Ping the previous day with the couple's seven-month-old son after a heated argument.
She accused Ho of having an affair, police said.
The woman and child stayed the night at a friend's flat in Heng Nga House, Hong Nga Court, in Lam Tin. When Ho arrived at the building to look for his wife and son, he argued with a 48-year-old security guard who stopped him at the ground-floor lift lobby.
Other security guards called the police, and when officers arrived at the scene, a tense stand-off ensued as Ho held a paper cutter to the guard's throat. Matters took a turn for the worse when Ho's wife walked out of the lift.
"Upon seeing his wife, Ho became very emotional and agitated," said Senior Superintendent Eugene Yue, head of the Kowloon East regional crime unit.
Ho then left the guard and rushed towards his wife in an apparent attempt to injure her, Yue said. As a policewoman pulled the wife back to protect her, both women lost their balance and fell to the ground.
"Ho was standing over them and about to do something to hurt them," Yue said, adding that the man was still holding the knife at the time. "As repeated warnings were ignored, two officers fired a total of three shots."
A colleague of the guard held at knifepoint said: "Police ordered the man to drop the weapon and not to be emotional. The officers shouted repeatedly before there were loud bangs."
A resident who lives two blocks away said she heard three loud shots. "I heard bang, bang, bang and I initially thought it was thunder," she said. "Then I heard ambulance or police sirens."
Neither the security guard nor Ho's wife were injured.
Yue said a constable and a station sergeant fired the shots. Officers have retrieved CCTV footage of the scene. An autopsy will be conducted on Friday.
In March, a police officer fired two shots as he chased three suspected illegal immigrants who hurled stones at him in Shek O. No one was injured. In May 2012, a traffic policeman shot dead a 36-year-old man involved in a suspected triad attack in Sham Shui Po.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Probe after police shoot man, 21, dead
scmpost_05may14_ns_gun31_mer140505205409
0506-00407-003b2.jpg
0506-00407-003b3.jpg

 

the fatal shooting news is a hotly discussed topic, should the officers open fire? do they need to aim at the head? and why need 3 shots? the guy is only armed with a box cutter.
what would happen if this were to be in singapore?
policeman here facing 200 rioters who burnt a few police car and ambulance did not even fire a shoot? mean their live not threatening at that moment?

 

↡ Advertisement
Link to post
Share on other sites

(edited)

Wahhhhhhhhhhhh Lauuuuuuuuuuuuu ............. :huh:

 

Not Singkie news lar ... :o

 

 

Down here, one bullet missing already kana left, right & centre from Top . Who dare to shoot ... [sweatdrop]

Edited by Picnic06
Link to post
Share on other sites

They are justified to shoot if the claims are true. Anyway, u think in tat instant u got time to aim hand aim leg ah? Lol if u are playing time crisis or virtual cop maybe boleh lah. Lol

  • Praise 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hypersonic

 

warning shots ??

 

to agitate the person further?

 

Still the shots were aim very high. One on the forehead and one on the neck [sweatdrop]

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

6th Gear

Sad to say the police in S'pore used their bullets more on themselves than criminal. Many cases of police / cisco personnel turning bullets on themselves in the past few years...

Link to post
Share on other sites

Turbocharged

even within 1 metre the Polis aim for his shoulder can shot the head one - sad that a life is lost...some more only 21 yr old

Link to post
Share on other sites

Wah lao, when I see the title "To shoot or not to shoot", first impression is could it be another tiko thread. :D

  • Praise 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Still the shots were aim very high. One on the forehead and one on the neck [sweatdrop]

 

 

report saysthe fella were standing over the 2 ladies and they were on the ground?

 

if too low, maybe scared hit the ladies?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I thought police officers are trained to handle such situation? They are also trained to use firearm. So what's the investigation about? Shakespeare? To shoot or not to shoot? That's the question?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I thought police officers are trained to handle such situation? They are also trained to use firearm. So what's the investigation about? Shakespeare? To shoot or not to shoot? That's the question?

 

In HK is to shoot or not to shoot.

 

In SG is to buy (car) or not to buy (yet).

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hypersonic

Wah lao, when I see the title "To shoot or not to shoot", first impression is could it be another tiko thread. :D

I also thought so, that's why rush in to see this thread :)

 

Well, if a policeman in danger, then no choice , shoot to defend.

Anyway, situation dictate the actions.

On hind side, we can say anything under the sky.

However, only the concern parties at site will feel the situation and make the judgement calls.

  • Praise 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Supercharged

the question now would be, when the shots were fired, as he holding onto a hostage or not.

if he is not holding onto a hostage, why was the head the target and not the chest or the torso?

 

confirm will get questioned, given that the shooting was done in public sight. they need to justify to the public that the shooting was done in a situation where they had no other choices.

 

why no warning shots is another question that begs to be answered.

↡ Advertisement
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...