A police operation unfolded on the evening of Jan. 15 at Tuen Mun Town Plaza, where a knife-wielding man was shot dead after holding a hostage. The incident began around 7 p.m. when the suspect, armed with a 1-foot-long butcher knife, was seen wandering near Tuen Shun Street. Police were dispatched to investigate.
Upon arrival, officers found the suspect near the main entrance of Tuen Mun Town Plaza, close to a convenience store. The suspect refused to cooperate and engaged in a standoff with police, prompting nearby pedestrians to flee in panic. During the chaos, the man reportedly took a hostage, escalating the situation.
Before the shooting, it is understood the suspect had stolen the knife from the kitchen section of a supermarket inside the plaza. Police initially fired a shot using a JPX4 pepper spray launcher in an attempt to subdue him, but it was ineffective. The suspect then ran into the plaza and allegedly grabbed a female hostage.
Footage shared online shows that during the chaos, two women lost their footing and fell to the ground. The suspect briefly tangled with the two women, creating a highly dangerous situation. At a critical moment, police officers arrived, and two suspected gunshots were heard. The suspect clutched his abdomen and collapsed to the ground. Officers continued to raise their firearms and shouted, "Stay back!" The two women were pulled away, with one of them scrambling to safety. Subsequently, multiple officers were seen providing first aid to the suspect, who was lying on the ground. Some officers were wearing bulletproof vests and helmets.
Another piece of CCTV footage circulating online shows the suspect lunging at two female pedestrians outside a convenience store. One of the women, dressed in gray, was grabbed by the shoulder strap of her crossbody bag and could not break free. Seemingly terrified, she fell to the ground. The suspect appeared to be attempting to stab her when police decisively opened fire to end the situation. The suspect collapsed after reportedly being shot, and the female hostage immediately fled the scene through the group of police officers.
After being shot, the suspect was rendered unconscious and rushed by ambulance to Tuen Mun Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect was identified as a 34-year-old Vietnamese national with a criminal record, including charges of drug trafficking, assaulting police, and possession of offensive weapons. During a search, police found approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine ("ice") and an extendable baton in the suspect's possession.
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