Security Guard Praised After Baguio Bay Knife Attack
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
Security industry association chairman Ho Kai-man said the security guards involved in the Baguio Bay knife attack did all they could under extreme danger and without protective equipment, and he described their actions as brave. He said industry guidance requires guards facing a knife-wielding person to immediately notify the control room, call police, keep at least 1.5 metres away and wait in a safe place for support. Ho added that the Baguio Bay case was an exceptional emergency in which guards stepped forward to protect residents, even though normal guidance does not call for direct intervention. He also said Hong Kong security staff are not equipped with offensive weapons because equipment is tightly regulated and such items could be seized and used against the public
Key Points
- Ho Kai-man, chairman of the security industry association, said the guards used a broom, gestures and distance to distract and calm the attacker
- Industry guidance says guards should radio the control room, seek backup, keep at least 1.5 metres away and avoid rushing in
- Ho said some estates may have protective shields, but they may not be reachable quickly enough during sudden violent incidents
- He said offensive gear such as batons or forked restraint poles is not issued because police approval is required and seizure risks are high
- After the Hollywood Plaza killing in Diamond Hill, the industry strengthened crisis intervention and de-escalation training for frontline guards
- Video clips described by HK01 showed a shirtless, barefoot man holding a knife running uphill toward foreign passers-by before turning toward a residential estate security guard wearing sunglasses. The guard was forced back to a wall near a car park entrance, fell to the ground at one point, and used his legs to keep the attacker from getting closer. Other guards then approached and tried to calm the man with hand gestures before both sides moved toward the car park entrance. In another clip obtained by HK01, the suspect confronted a male guard on the road while the guard slowly retreated to maintain distance and the attacker kept following
- A later clip showed the man wandering on the road as a woman passed by, after which he moved to attack her despite guards shouting “Don’t move”. The woman backed away and then ran into the road to avoid him, but he stabbed her in the back and chased her as she fled. After she fell across the road, the attacker moved in again, but a Black man rushed forward and kicked him away while another guard used a broom to separate them. According to information from the scene cited by HK01, the Black man was a friend of the knife-wielding suspect
- Ho said body-worn cameras are now commonly issued to guards in the hope that recording can have a deterrent effect. He also urged property management companies and owners’ corporations to review staffing levels, saying some estates now deploy fewer staff than before because of cost concerns. He warned that two or three staff may be enough for patrols and maintenance in normal times, but are inadequate when a serious emergency breaks out
Why It Matters
The case has renewed attention on what Hong Kong security guards can realistically do when confronted by armed violence, especially in private housing estates where they are often first on the scene. It also raises pressure on management companies to review manpower, training and access to defensive equipment within existing police-approved limits