Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Monday, Mar 27, 2023

Hong Kong security chief backs police’s dismissal of sponge grenade complaint

Hong Kong security chief backs police’s dismissal of sponge grenade complaint

Internal investigation concludes actions on November 16, 2019 near Langham Place ‘not unreasonable’ .

Hong Kong’s security minister has thrown support behind a formal police dismissal of a complaint launched by a reporter, who accused an officer of “unnecessary use of authority” by shooting a sponge grenade at his back when he was covering a clash during the anti-government protests in 2019.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Monday said he respected the findings of the force’s internal Complaints Against Police Office (Capo), which told Raymond Cheng, 27, in a reply that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate his claim filed a month after the incident on November 16, 2019. The unit said the act of the officer in question was “not unreasonable”.

Cheng, a former Commercial Radio reporter, said on Sunday night he would file an application to review the Capo findings.

A sponge grenade used by police in the 2019 unrest.


Tang on Monday said he had already “reprimanded” colleagues involved when serving as police chief during the protests he now regarded as a “colour revolution”.

“There could be room for improvement in public perception of the law enforcement work as I’ve said,” he told a radio show. “Three years have gone, we now must respect [Capo’s] conclusion that the complaint was not substantiated.”

According to an earlier account from Cheng, riot officers had shoved other journalists wearing reflective vests and holding cameras near Langham Place mall in Mong Kok at around 1am that morning, prompting him to take out his mobile phone to film the act.

He said police tried to stop him from taking the video, but he resisted and read aloud an officer’s operational call sign – ID numbers worn by frontline police for the public to identify them – for the record.

Another officer then pointed at Cheng, declaring “arrest him”, according to the reporter. When Cheng turned to leave, he felt something strike his backpack and heard a gunshot.

He did not sustain any injury in the incident, but the non-lethal round was suspected to have left a hole in his backpack.

A police source confirmed to the Post in 2019 a sponge-tipped round was fired, which hit the backpack of the reporter, accusing him of fleeing an arrest.

In the Capo reply, the force stated the site was chaotic at the time and officers had requested Cheng and two others to leave to ensure their safety. The warning, however, was ignored by Cheng, it said.

The unit said Cheng had touched an officer’s hand before “turning away to run”, with the policeman giving chase and a sponge grenade was then fired at Cheng. It was not specified if the shot was from the officer in question. The Capo held that the act was “not unreasonable.”

“As there was not enough evidence to support the allegation [of unnecessary use of authority], the allegation is classified as ‘unsubstantiated,’” the reply read, adding that the classification was endorsed by the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Council.

The Capo also dismissed two other allegations, in which Cheng accused officers of “misconduct” by pushing away another reporter’s mobile phone twice and pulling down his gas mask.

The Capo said the concerned officers had denied the allegations, and there were no video clips showing the alleged actions.

Cheng, now a newspaper reporter, said the investigation results were regretful, adding they were not in line with the facts. He added it was the officer who made physical contact with him and not vice versa.

Cheng said when he realised he was hit by a round, he stopped and turned to officers to identify himself, and was not pursued after that.

“I will file an application to review Capo’s result,” Cheng said on Sunday.

Commercial Radio also said on the same day that the police conclusion was inconsistent with the facts, urging the force to review the investigation and give an explanation.

It added that security minister Tang, as the then police chief, had mentioned the incident in two interviews with the station, saying he would conduct disciplinary reviews. The station said the remarks by Tang, who also agreed that the reporter was performing his duties, had indicated wrongdoings.

A force spokesman said Capo had completed the investigation in accordance with established procedures in a fair and impartial manner, and it would not comment on individual cases.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
Close
0:00
0:00
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Overhaul Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pro democracy protest
Police violence in Paris
Paris: Some of the police are stepping down and showing solidarity with the protesters.
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Goldman Sachs cuts outlook for European bank debt over Credit Suisse crisis
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
The US government has charged Chinese businessman Guo Wengui with leading a $1 billion fraud scheme that cheated thousands of followers out of their money.
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
The BBC problem about China
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
"Will Fly Wherever International Law Allows": US Warns Russia After Drone Incident
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
Announcing GPT-4
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
China is calling out the US, UK, and Australia on their submarine pact, claiming they are going further down a dangerous road
A brief banking situation report
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
'No relation to the American SVB': India's SVC Bank acts to calm depositors amid brand name confusion.
Good news: The U.S. government is now guaranteeing all deposits, held by, Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds are available as of today
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
Saudi Arabia has announced a major breakthrough in diplomacy with Iran after two years of intense talks
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
A primitive judge in Australia sparked outrage when he told a breastfeeding woman to leave his courtroom for being “a distraction"
Barcelona is feeling the heat as they face corruption charges over payments to former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
Silicon Valley Bank: Struggles Threaten Tech Startup Ecosystem"
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
Old clip of Bill Gates saying Ukraine is a big, fat, corrupt sinkhole is going viral
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
2 universities in Hong Kong embrace use of ChatGPT, other AI tools
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
Missing Chinese banker was working to set up Singapore family office
Hong Kong ditches Covid mask mandate after 945 days
Xi Jinping and His Wife Meet with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk
How do stolen goods end up on Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace?
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Hello. Here is our news digest from London.
×