Police shoot knifeman in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po station

HONG KONG (AFP) – Police shot a man wielding a knife inside a busy Hong Kong subway station on Wednesday (Nov 7) after he tried to attack them, officials said.

It is rare for police to shoot suspects in Hong Kong, where it is illegal for the public to carry firearms.

Officers tried to question him in Sham Shui Po station during a routine security search, but he pulled a 15cm knife from his backpack, divisional commander Chow Ngai Kong told reporters.

After giving him a warning, a policewoman shot him and he was sent to hospital with a stomach injury, Chow said.

Asked by reporters why police had fired at the man during rush hour at a busy station, Chow said their lives were under threat.

“The male was using a life-threatening sharp-edged weapon to try to attack officers at the scene,” he said. “She had considered whether she had the opportunity to hit the target before she actually opened fire.”

The man was a Hong Kong identity card-holder, Chow said, giving no further details on the suspect.

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