‘No other choice’: Hong Kong police defend shooting of armed man who attacked wife and mother

Superintendent Sin Kwok-ming said in a press conference early Monday that the man, who already had a criminal record for mental illness, ran towards police armed with a knife and scissors the previous day after they rushed to the Kam Ping Street apartment at around 9.19 p.m. to fend off the man's attack on his family.

One of the officers – a police officer with eight years of experience – eventually shot the suspect, who allegedly ignored repeated warnings from a distance of about 1.5 meters after a 30-second standoff.

“It was a critical situation,” Sin said. “The man was holding weapons in both hands as he approached our colleagues. To protect everyone's safety, we had no choice in this situation. I see that our colleagues acted professionally.”

The injured man was taken to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai, where he later died.