Suspect arrested after shooting at police in Tai Po

Riot police were out in force in to back up the arresting officers. Photo: RTHK

Police have arrested a man for possession of firearms without a licence after a suspect opened fire on officers in Tai Po on Friday night.



Senior superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah from the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau said officers intercepted the 19-year-old suspect after following up on earlier seizures of weapons and bomb-making equipment.



When they challenged him at the Jade Plaza housing estate he pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and fired one shot but did not hit anyone. Officers subdued and arrested the man. As scores of riot police arrived to back up officers holding the hooded suspect, who had his hands tied behind his back, a crowd of people soon turned up to heckle officers and demanded to know what they were doing there.



Officers fired tear gas around 11pm, with reports from the scene suggesting that someone may have thrown something at the officers.



Police said they then searched the man's flat and found an AR-15 assault rifle and 211 rounds of ammunition, along with 44 hollow-tip bullets for the handgun.



Li said the pistol and ammunition were the same make as those found during an earlier raid in a North Point flat.



Li said the suspect was 19 years old and had previously been arrested for possession of firearms in December last year. He was released on bail in February, but failed to report to police as required this month.