Widow seeks answers as inquest still pending

Summary

Key Points

• On September 15, 2024, a 38-year-old North Point man with schizophrenia was suspected of attacking family members during an episode, and police later shot him dead after saying he was holding a knife. 1
• The man’s wife and elder brother questioned whether police used excessive force, lodged protests after the incident, and filed a complaint with the Complaints Against Police Office. 1
• The Judiciary said a coroner may ask police for further investigation and supplementary material after receiving a death investigation report, depending on the circumstances of each case. 1
• Police said they submitted their investigation report to the Coroner’s Court in June 2025, then provided additional case-related information in September 2026 and are awaiting the court’s directions. 1
• Under Practice Direction 39, effective in 2025, the court should in suitable cases update next of kin every three months if an investigation or inquest decision is not completed within nine months. 1
• Mrs Lee (李太), the widow, told HK01 that 2024 had marked the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary and that they had long depended on and cared for each other. After the shooting, she said she lost more than 20 catties within a month, suffered severe insomnia, and was repeatedly haunted by the image of her husband lying in a pool of blood. 1
• She said the prolonged trauma had sharply worsened her memory and slowed her reactions, leaving her worried that if her health collapses, no one will continue pursuing the case. She said she hopes the coroner’s court can open proceedings as soon as possible so there can be an explanation for her late husband, their family and herself. 1
• Mrs Lee also challenged the police view that the shooting was justified. She said there were stairs at the scene that officers could have retreated to, and asked why they did not use other equipment such as shields, pepper spray or other less-lethal tools. She said she could not accept that a single shot proved fatal, and added that on previous occasions when her husband relapsed and the family called police, officers had taken him to hospital without opening fire. 1
• She said repeated inquiries to both the Complaints Against Police Office and the Coroner’s Court had produced the same answer: that the matter was still under investigation. She added that she still does not know the name of the officer who fired the fatal shot, or whether that officer remains on duty. 1
• The Judiciary told HK01 that the coroner would notify the deceased’s next of kin in due course about case progress and any decision on whether to hold an inquest. It also said police may seek legal advice from the Department of Justice if needed and submit that advice to the coroner for consideration. 1
• Former lawmaker Kong Yuk-wun (江玉歡), who had followed the case, said the timing of an inquest depends on the complexity of the case, but in principle the authorities should handle such cases and complete investigation reports as quickly as possible because delays only deepen families’ pain. 1
• Sze Wan Community Organisation officer Pang Hung-cheung (彭鴻昌), who has been assisting the family, said that excluding the 2019 anti-extradition bill period, Hong Kong recorded 22 police shooting incidents from 2007 to 2024, eight of them fatal. He said the figures show there is room to review police use-of-force guidelines and raised the question of whether carers would still dare call police for help in emergencies if the guidance remains unchanged. 1
• Police repeated the same position they gave two years ago, saying they have strict rules on the use of force, including using only the minimum force absolutely necessary to achieve the purpose, giving warnings where circumstances permit, and allowing compliance where practicable. They said firearm-use guidelines involve operational details and are not suitable for public disclosure. 1

Why It Matters