This archive report was first published on 8 November 2019.
On November 8, 2019, Hong Kong was shaken by the news of a student's death, which is likely to escalate public fury after months of antigovernment demonstrations.
Chow Tsz-lok, a 22-year-old student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, fell from a parking garage near where police officers clashed with protesters on Monday, November 4, 2019. He sustained head and pelvis injuries and died on Friday, November 8, 2019, morning.
Anger with the police has run high following the force's widespread use of tear gas, pepper spray, and batons on demonstrators over 23 weeks of protest. A key demand of the protest movement, which began over a now-withdrawn extradition bill, has been an independent investigation into the police's use of force.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, urged residents to stay away from the protests, saying it was to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings when the police are enforcing the law.
However, Suzette Foo, a senior superintendent of the Hong Kong Police Force, said the police officers had fired 44 rounds of tear gas, 11 rubber bullets, three beanbag rounds, and one sponge grenade during operations in the Tseung Kwan O district near where Mr. Chow fell.
Ms. Foo denied that the police had interfered with emergency responders who were treating Mr. Chow or had barred an ambulance from reaching him. However, an emergency responder, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said officers tried to make rescuers leave as they were treating the injured student and blocked an ambulance from approaching.
