14-year-old boy allegedly shot in leg by plainclothes officer during HK anti-mask protests

The shot was believed to have been fired in self-defence.

Tanya Ong | October 05, 2019, 10:11 AM

A 14-year-old boy was reportedly taken to hospital after getting shot in the thigh at Yuen Long on Oct. 4, according to Hong Kong media.

These are supposedly the photos of the incident, which have been circulating on Twitter:

Photo via Twitter/Vince Dick Ma

Photo via Twitter/Vince Dick Ma

Photo via Twitter/Vince Dick Ma

This was during a widespread escalation of violence in Hong Kong, as protesters swarmed 18 districts in response to the face mask ban announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Allegedly shot by plainclothes officer

According to HKFP, a man, suspected to be a plainclothes officer, allegedly shot the teen in his left thigh during a scuffle with protesters.

Photo via Twitter/Vince Dick Ma

The man was seen to have approached the scene in Yuen Long around 8:00 pm.

The man, who can be seen in videos dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, was beaten by protesters and had a petrol bomb hurled at him.

Screenshot via IG video/thestandnews

In the chaos, he can be seen dropping what appears to be a gun as he quickly escapes the sudden blaze.

Someone tries to take the gun from the floor, but he quickly snatches it away.

Screenshot via IG video/thestandnews

This is a video of the event unfolding:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Mv0sqghpY/

According to CNA, the Hong Kong police issued a statement confirming that a plainclothes police officer had "dropped his pistol and magazine on the ground while evading a petrol bomb".

They also confirmed that a live round was fired at Yuen Long at 9:00 pm, adding that the officer "fired one shot in self-defence" as he was "facing serious threat to his life".

They did not state if this shot was linked to the injury of the teen.

Second incident so far

If true, the 14-year-old is the second person to have been shot with a live round during the Hong Kong protests.

The first incident took place on Oct. 1.

An 18-year-old student protester was shot in the chest by a police officer after an altercation.

He survived the shooting, but has since been charged with rioting.

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Top photo via Twitter/Vince Dick Ma