HONG KONG: Hong Kong police have arrested a man who brandished a knife in an apparently disoriented state near a McDonald’s in Tsuen Wan, just two days after officers shot dead another blade-wielding attacker elsewhere in the city.
Police said they received a report at 8.42am Saturday (Jan 17) from a passer-by that a man was seen holding a knife in the area near a McDonald’s on Tai Ho Road in Tsuen Wan.
On arriving at the scene, officers immediately subdued the man, with no injuries reported.
According to local media reports, the man appeared disoriented and was speaking incoherently.
The man, who holds a Hong Kong identity card, is believed to be a Nepalese born in 1989.
Photos from the scene showed the subdued suspect sitting on the ground with a black hood over his head. Officers, including at least one in a tactical vest, were seen going through the man’s belongings.
The suspect was arrested for possessing an offensive weapon and failing to carry an identity document. He remains in custody as part of the investigation.
The incident comes just two days after officers fatally shot a 34-year-old man who took a woman hostage with a knife at a shopping centre in Tuen Mun.
The Post earlier learned that the attacker had a history of mental illness and drug abuse and had recently missed a medical consultation.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung defended the officers, saying they had made a “difficult decision” to shoot the man, while a relative of the deceased said police could have aimed at his limbs to avoid killing him. - South China Morning Post
