Live weapons 'needed to quell violence and protect lives': Zeman

Hong Kong business tycoon Allan Zeman on Thursday joined in the chorus of support for the city's police force in using guns whenever necessary to protect themselves if their lives are threatened.

In his view, it's not "brutal" or "harsh" for police officers to use live weapons to quell violence and protect their own lives in extreme danger.

"As violence erupts, they (the police) have to up the game and try to control it the best way they can. The live weapons they carry is to protect their lives as well," said Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, in a one-on-one interview with China Daily.

He was commenting on an incident in which a pipe-wielding protester was shot and wounded when he was attacking a police officer during a violent clash in Tsuen Wan on Tuesday. The 18-year-old teenager, surnamed Tsang, is now in a stable condition in hospital.

The police have come under criticism from certain quarters for the shooting, with the officer involved accused of shooting at the protester's center mass instead of the limbs.

But, Zeman disagreed. "Obviously, at that point, in a split second, the police are trained to shoot and shoot for the body, rather than the legs or arms, because it's the biggest part of a human body. And, that's part of their training."

He felt sad to see some biased news coverage that has brought condemnation and hatred to the police force.

"It's quite sad because the police are there to protect Hong Kong and themselves. I don't think they're trying to be brutal or to be harsh. They're not bad people. They have families. They have children. Many of their families are being harassed in schools," said Zeman.

Tsang was charged with one count of rioting and two counts of assaulting police officers when his case was heard at Shatin Magistrates' Courts on Thursday.

He is among seven suspects, aged between 18 and 38, charged with involvement in rioting on Oct 1, when radical protesters ran amok at multiple locations across the city, blocking roads, vandalizing public and private properties, attacking railway stations and starting fires on the streets.

A 38-year-old suspect was additionally charged with one count of arson.