A Hong Kong off-duty police sergeant was slashed across the face twice with a razor on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.

He was injured after he attempted to arrest a man suspected of damaging the banner of a district council election candidate.

The suspect who allegedly hurt the policeman is a 72-year-old man.

He allegedly made the 10cm cross on the sergeant’s face with the razor at around 6.15am in Sheung Shui.

A police source told South China Morning Post: “The sergeant was on the way to work this morning and passed by the Junior Police Call club house in Sheung Shui Wai. He arrested a male for attempting to damage an [election] banner of the pro-establishment camp by razor.”

“The suspect struggled and attacked the sergeant.”

Both the officer and the suspect were sent to the nearby North District Hospital for treatment.

An investigation is under way.

SCMP said the suspect was arrested for criminal damage and wounding.

It is the second blade attack on an officer.

In the Oct. 13 incident in Kwun Tong MTR station, a sergeant was slashed in the neck with a box cutter when responding to reports of criminal damage by a group of men wearing black.

A man was arrested and the case has been taken to court.

Photos via South China Morning Post via Hong Kong police