Hong Kong riots: Teenage protester shot with live round as violence escalates
A Hong Kong police officer shot a teenage protester at close range as authorities and pro-democracy activists came head-to-head in a fierce clash on Tuesday.
Previously, officers have been known to fire warning shots in the air on multiple occasions during months of conflict in Hong Kong, but this was the first time a protester is known to have been shot.
The officer in question fired the single pistol shot as protesters surrounded him with the bullet hitting an 18-year-old on the left side of his shoulder said police spokeswoman Yolanda Yu.
Police Commissioner Stephen Lo said the bullet hit the 18-year-old on the left side of his chest and defended the officer’s actions as “reasonable and lawful”.
Authority at Hong Kong’s hospital said the young boy was one of two people in critical condition after riots continued around the city, with a total of 51 people injured.
The violence challenging Chinese rule came just as the Communist Party celebrated its 70th year in power.
According to Ms Yu, the victim was shot after repeatedly ignoring police despite their warnings.
“The police officers’ lives were under serious threat,” she said. “To save his own life and his colleagues’ lives, he fired a live shot at the assailant.”
The movement has quickly turned into an anti-China campaign as activists demand for direct elections for the city’s leaders and police accountability.