Death of Chow Tsz-lok

The death of Chow Tsz-lok occurred on 8 November 2019 due to head injuries sustained after a fall from the third floor towards the second floor of the Sheung Tak car park in Tseung Kwan O on 4 November. In the moments preceding the fall, Chow was wandering alone inside the building and on a connecting footbridge. During the incident, in the nearby area outside the car park, there was an ongoing confrontation between protesters and the Hong Kong Police Force.

Chow, Tsz-lok "Alex"
周梓樂
Died(2019-11-08)8 November 2019 (aged 22)
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cause of deathHead injuries from a fall
Nationality Hong Kong, China
EducationHong Kong University of Science and Technology
OccupationStudent
Known forDeath associated with the 2019 Hong Kong protests

Chow, a 22-year-old student of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, suffered a severe brain injury that would lead to his death due to a cardiac arrest four days later.[1] Chow is believed to be the first to die from injuries sustained in the 2019 Hong Kong protests,[2] but the exact circumstances that led to his fall is not known.[3][4] The Hong Kong government has announced a comprehensive investigation into the incident.[2]

Personal background

Chow Tsz-lok, also known as Alex Chow,[5] was a 22-year-old second-year computer science undergraduate student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) at the time of the incident.[4]

Incident
The ledge from which Chow fell in the Sheung Tak car park

After doxxing efforts by protesters to target police, private details of a police officer's wedding in Tseung Kwan O on 3 November 2019 were leaked and calls were made to crash the event, which would eventually lead to an overnight confrontation between police and protesters.[6] Around 16:00 on that day, the police were dispersing protesters who were disrupting the wedding held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kowloon East.[7] About two hours later, the riot police arrived near the hotel.[7] It is not known if Chow was among these protesters.[7] The police said that security footage showed that Chow had departed from his home in Tseung Kwan O at 23:54.[4] Hereafter, around 00:20 on 4 November, a large gathering comprising over 100 protesters, with some creating roadblocks, had formed at the junction of Tong Ming Street and Tong Chun Street.[7]

Early 4 November, Chow sustained severe head injuries after a fall from the third to the second storey inside the Sheung Tak car park in Tseung Kwan O[4][8] near the area of confrontation between protesters and police.[4][8][3] The exact circumstances that led to his fall is not known.[3][4] It also remains unclear why Chow was at the car park.[4] It was reported by CNN that there was no indication that Chow was involved in the nearby protest,[8] while The Standard reported that all indications point to an accidental fall.[9]

Map displaying the whereabouts of Chow Tsz-lok before the incident.

The CCTV footage showed that Chow was alone as he wandered inside the car park and on a connecting footbridge from 0:26 to 01:02 when he was last seen before the fall as he was walking upwards to the third floor.[4][10] In the time frame reconstructed from the footage, Chow was located in the Beverly Garden shopping centre at 00:19 and 00:23, on the connecting footbridge at 00:26 as he entered the car park, in the car park at 00:38, 00:44, 00:45, 00:47 and 00:49, on the same footbridge again from 01:00 to 01:01 as he walked towards Beverly Garden and then returned to the car park, and in the car park again at 01:02.[11] The fall itself was not captured in the footage due to the operational camera rotations and parked vehicles blocking the view.[1][4]

As reported in the Time, it was initially unclear whether or not the tear gas, fired near the car park where protesters and officers clashed, played a role in Chow's fall.[2] The Seattle Post-Intelligencer said that television footage showed police firing tear gas at the building "minutes earlier" from when Chow fell.[12] The police said that they deployed tear gas in the area near the car park from 00:41 to 00:57.[7] CNN reported the location where the police shot tear gas as the area between the Sheung Tak Plaza and Sheung Tak car park, starting from the junction of Tong Ming Street and Tong Chun Street along a part of the Tong Chun Street, which is on the opposite side of the building and parallel to the building's length about 120 metres away from the spot where Chow fell.[8] The South China Morning Post reported that the area where the police fired tear gas and other ammunition was the junction of Tong Ming Street and Tong Chun Street, which is on the opposite side of the car park and about 160 metres away from the spot where Chow fell.[7] In The New York Times, citing the security footage released by the building owner Link REIT, it was reported that there was no police presence or significant amounts of tear gas inside the parking garage in the moments before Chow fell.[13]

The police stated that their officers entered the building for a dispersal operation on late Sunday, which occurred before Chow arrived there, and a second operation after Chow was found unconscious.[12] They were there from 23:06 until 23:20 at the first instance.[4] The police entered the building again at 01:05 from the ground floor to disperse protesters who had been throwing objects from above towards officers on the street.[4][7] They also said that there were no police officers inside the building when Chow was walking around there.[8] The police concluded their dispersal operation in the Sheung Tak car park at 01:25 and in the nearby area around the Sheung Tak car park at 01:45.[7] CGTN, a Chinese state media network, suggested that the death of Chow, possibly acting as a scout for the protesters, was the result of a parkour accident unrelated to police action.[14] In a police briefing on 5 November, the Kowloon East Superintendent Wu Ka-yan said that Chow may have thought that there was a ledge below the third-floor wall, which led to his fall of four metres towards the second floor when he climbed over the wall.[7]

There were several people, including those in black clothing and firefighters, inside the car park at the time.[7] The firefighters arrived at the car park at 00:55 in response to a call about a fire.[11] At 01:05, they were informed by a passerby about Chow's fall onto the second floor.[4] The firefighters requested an ambulance at 01:11 as they were providing aid to Chow.[7] At 01:15, as seen in CCTV footage, over 20 police officers arrived at the spot where Chow had fallen and left about a minute later.[7] Suzette Foo, the Senior Superintendent (Operations) of Kowloon East, said that their officers learned about Chow's injuries when they reached the second floor as they gradually moved from the ground floor upwards.[15] She said that the firefighters told the police that they could handle the incident and did not require their help.[15] The police dispersed the people near the scene, in which they pointed crowd control weapons at the protesters, but left the first-aiders alone to provide care.[15]

The Fire Services Department said that, after receiving the call at 01:11, it took 19 minutes—7 minutes longer than the 12-minute service pledge for emergencies—for paramedics to arrive at the scene and attributed it to the traffic congestion near the car park.[1] The police said that roadblocks set up by protesters had prevented vehicles from passing.[8] Protesters maintain that police cars blocked the ambulance from reaching Chow.[2] The police stated that the rumours that they had obstructed the ambulance were false and groundless.[16] Leung Kwok-lai, the Fire Services Department Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer (Kowloon East), said that the ambulance assigned to Chow was blocked by buses and private vehicles but that the ambulance did not come in contact with the police that were on duty.[13] He also stated that there were five ambulances deployed for various incidents in the area around that time: ambulance A344 was assigned to Chow at 01:11 and reached him at 01:30, after which their patient was transported onto it at 01:41; two other ambulances were assigned to persons with breathing difficulties, including one who ultimately did not require medical assistance; the remaining two ambulances did not handle any patients.[11] The ambulance carrying Chow arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 01:59.[7]

Chow was hospitalised in a critical condition with a severe brain injury at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital from early 4 November until his death due to a cardiac arrest at 08:09 on 8 November.[1] The hospital referred the case to the Coroner's Court.[4]

Investigation
2019–20 Hong Kong
protests
Part of the Democratic development in Hong Kong
Background
Protests timeline
2019
2020
Tactics and methods
Incidents
Fatalities
Reactions
See also

Police investigation

The police stated that they would carry out an in-depth investigation, recommend an inquest into the death, and submit a report to the coroner.[16]

After reviewing footage from over 30 cameras provided by the building owner Link REIT, investigators ruled that Chow could not have been pushed by police officers as the police entered the car park after the estimated time frame of his fall, could not have been hit by beanbags or rubber bullets shot by the police as the distance was too great to reach him, and could not have fallen due to tear gas as no person in the area was affected and no smoke filled the area.[7] However, the cause for the fall could not be determined from the footage.[7] The police said that they would seek security footage from nearby buildings.[7]

Injuries

It was reported that Chow had a fractured right pelvis from likely a lateral compression, a torn internal iliac artery, a fractured skull base, bleeding in mainly the right half of the brain, and an intra-abdominal hemorrhage.[17] He had no obvious injuries to his hands and feet, nor had he been shot with bullets or was he bruised from a beating.[17] The toxicology results only showed drugs prescribed after his admission to the hospital.[17]

Shekhar Madhukar Kumta, Professor at the Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, suggested that Chow had likely lost consciousness before the fall and thus could not protect himself during the fall, because conscious people generally react by protecting themselves with their hands or curled bodies, which leads to a high chance of fractures in their hands and feet.[17]

Philip Swan-lip Beh, a forensic pathologist and Associate Professor at the Department of Pathology of the University of Hong Kong, said that Chow had fallen from a height that can be fatal in which he may have impacted the ground with his hips first and then his head, which explains the pelvic bone fracture with no obvious injuries to hands and feet.[17] He concluded that an accidental fall could not be ruled out, suggesting that the incident may have been the result of a bad jump and landing, and that the coroner had to decide whether to dissect the remains to determine the circumstances of the fall.[17]

Coroner's Court

As reported on 16 May 2020, Kwok Ka-chuen (Kenneth Kwok), Chief Superintendent of the Police Public Relations Branch, said that investigators had submitted a progress report to the Coroner's Court, which would open an inquest and make the documents public.[18]

Responses in Hong Kong

Official responses

On 8 November 2019, the Hong Kong government expressed "great sorrow and regret" over Chow's death and extended sympathies to his family, and added that a "comprehensive investigation to find out what happened" was already under way.[2]

Protesters
A memorial for Chow in Tamar Park on 9 November

The death of Chow Tsz-lok sparked heightened anger among protesters,[8][12] repeated calls for revenge by protesters,[19][20] and the escalation of protester violence.[21][22] As part of the ongoing polarising disinformation, unsubstantiated claims about the police's role in the death of Chow began spreading widely among protesters and subsequently the public[23] – in particular, allegations that Chow had been chased and even pushed by the police, and that police blocked an ambulance from reaching him.[23]

During a 6 November forum at HKUST to discuss about Chow Tsz-lok, a student from the Chinese mainland was assaulted, including repeatedly hit on the head, by a crowd of protesters.[16][24] HKUST president Wei Shyy said that steps had been taken to identify and pursue "those responsible for the violence, those deliberately shielding the violence from view... whether those responsible are HKUST students or not".[16] The HKUST authorities have strongly condemned the attack as "unacceptable", saying "We assure everyone we will not tolerate violence on campus and strongly condemn the attack."[25]

On 8 November, after the news of his death, many people queued at the place where Chow had fallen to participate in a memorial, placing objects like flowers, candles, and paper cranes.[12] About a thousand protesters marched in the central business district; they chanted anti-police slogans and shouted at the police, including calling them "murderers".[12] In several locations around Hong Kong, protesters blocked roads, lit fires, and vandalised Mass Transit Railway stations, while the police responded with tear gas.[12] A graduation ceremony at HKUST on that day was cut short when a black bloc took the stage and turned it into a memorial service for Chow.[12]

A vigil was held the next day in Tamar Park, with organisers claiming an attendance of 100,000, while police put that figure at 7,500.[26]

On 11 November, sparked by Chow's death, student protesters marched to the residence of HKUST president Shyy and called on him to "condemn police violence"; they daubed graffiti and vandalised the residence and also vandalised a Starbucks café and Bank of China branch on campus; classes at HKUST were cancelled for repairs after mass vandalism on the campus.[16]

The death of Chow ignited an escalation of violent protests, initiating the so-called "Blossom Everywhere" campaign from 11 November onward in which protesters established roadblocks, disrupted train services, and vandalised public spaces across the city that would ultimately lead to conflicts where a protester was shot in Sai Wan Ho, a man was doused and set on fire in Ma On Shan, and an elderly man was killed after he was hit with a brick in Sheung Shui, eventually culminating into large-scale police sieges on university campuses, such as at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where the protesters had retreated to serve as their bases of operation.[27]

Others

Man-Kei Tam, the director of Amnesty International Hong Kong, called for an independent and urgent investigation into the events leading to Chow's fall, including into the allegations that the police delayed the ambulance.[28] The activist Joshua Wong said that Chow's death made the demand for an independent investigation into police conduct even more crucial, stating that "Reforming the Hong Kong police force has become a big demand in the society,"[12][29] but also asserting that "Obviously, the Hong Kong police force has to be accountable for Chow's death."[29] The Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor said: "Given the lack of mutual trust between police and the public, the coroner should proactively investigate, and take additional measures to ensure the credibility of the investigation."[4]

In an open letter, HKUST president Wei Shyy called for a thorough and independent investigation into Chow's death, and a clarification from all parties and especially the police to the cause of the ambulance delay.[13][16] The provisional president of the HKUST student union, Lai Wai-chun, said that he hopes that the university authorities can investigate the reasons for Chow's death and the alleged delay in emergency medical personnel reaching Chow.[2] The police responded to Shyy's open letter, stating the following points: the Regional Crime Unit of Kowloon East was investigating the case and would do so in depth; the police had recommended a death inquest and would submit a death investigation report to the coroner; the Fire Services Department clarified that the ambulance had no interaction with police officers at the scene, but was obstructed by buses and private cars and not by police vehicles.[30]

Aftermath

An article published by Next Magazine alleged that Po Fook Memorial Hall, which supposedly had been approached by Chow's mother to organise her son's funeral arrangements, had declined to hold Chow's funeral ceremony and said that the entire funeral services sector would not help her.[31][32] The Po Fook Memorial Hall denied the report and said that they were working with Chow's family to provide services.[31][33] The public service was held on the evening of 12 December.[3][34]

On 25 February 2020, the Sai Kung District Council announced that they will hold a meeting on 3 March, as eight members of the Council requested that the two resting places in the Tseung Kwan O district be named "Chow Tsz-Lok Memorial Park" and "Chan Yin-lam Memorial Park".[35] This caused an uproar against the decision, with the public condemning such action as disrespectful to the deceased and their families, as well as nearby residents.[36] The families of the deceased have not been consulted by the proposers of the motion.[36]

See also

References
  1. Lum, Alvin (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong student Chow Tsz-lok dies after suffering severe brain injury in car park fall". South China Morning Post. Aggregated in Lum, Alvin (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong student Chow Tsz-lok dies after suffering severe brain injury in car park fall". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019.
  2. Leung, Hillary (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong Student Who Fell From Height During a Protest Dies". Time. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  3. Cheng, Kris (13 December 2019). "Thousands show up to funeral of Hong Kong student who died near protest". Hong Kong Free Press. Archived from the original on 7 January 2020.
  4. Chung, Kimmy; Cheung, Elizabeth (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong protests: coroner to hold inquest in open court into death of student who fell from car park at around time of police clearance operation". South China Morning Post. Aggregated in Chung, Kimmy (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong protests: coroner to hold inquest in open court into death of student who fell from car park at around time of police clearance operation". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019.
  5. "Protests Erupt in Hong Kong After Student's Death". Time. 8 November 2019.
  6. Lau, Chris; Lum, Alvin (8 November 2019). "Telegram social media channel used by protesters for doxxing Hong Kong police suspended after leaking thousands of pictures and videos of officers and their families". South China Morning Post. Aggregated in Lau, Chris (8 November 2019). "Telegram social media channel used by protesters for doxxing Hong Kong police shuts down after leaking thousands of pictures and videos of officers and their families". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019.
  7. Cheung, Elizabeth; Lum, Alvin (7 November 2019). "Condition of Hong Kong student injured in car park fall deteriorates, but doctors yet to confirm brain death". South China Morning Post. Aggregated in Cheung, Elizabeth (7 November 2019). "Condition of Hong Kong student injured in car park fall deteriorates, but doctors yet to confirm brain death". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019.
  8. Hollingsworth, Julia; Yee, Isaac (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong student dies after fall in a parking garage during weekend protests". CNN. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019.
  9. Ma, Mary (4 March 2020). "Park-naming moves won't work". The Standard. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020.
  10. "Footage shows student in Tseung Kwan O car park alone, police say". The Standard. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020.
  11. Cheng, Kris (9 November 2019). "Hong Kong police call for coroner investigation into student's death as university president demands explanation over ambulance delay". Hong Kong Free Press. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019.
  12. Ng, Eileen (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong student's death fuels more anger against police". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  13. Ramzy, Austin; Cheung, Ezra (7 November 2019). "Anger in Hong Kong After Student Dies From Fall Following Clash With Police". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019.
  14. "Real story behind the fall of HK student Chow Tsz-lok". CGTN.
  15. Cheng, Kris (6 November 2019). "Hong Kong police deny blocking ambulance from attending to student who fell from car park during unrest". Hong Kong Free Press.
  16. Wong, Stella (11 November 2019). "School's out after vandals hit HKUST". The Standard. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  17. "【周梓樂離世】傷勢曝光！右髂骨折手腳無明顯受傷 創傷科專家：或墮樓前已失知覺". Apple Daily (in Chinese). 12 November 2019.
  18. Mok, Danny; Chung, Kimmy (16 May 2020). "Hong Kong protests: police warn of legal action after district councillor Lester Shum calls for revenge over death of student Chow Tsz-lok". South China Morning Post. Aggregated in Mok, Danny (16 May 2020). "Hong Kong protests: police warn of legal action after district councillor Lester Shum calls for revenge over death of student Chow Tsz-lok". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020.
  19. Leung, Jasmine; Givetash, Linda (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong protests take a deadly turn as student killed in fall". NBC News. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019.
  20. "International students are leaving Hong Kong amidst heated protests". Study International. 15 November 2019. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019.
  21. Chan, Ho-him; Cheung, Elizabeth; Chung, Kimmy; Lum, Alvin (8 November 2019). "Night of violence and grief in Hong Kong as city mourns death of student Chow Tsz-lok, leading to confrontations with police and vandalism at university". South China Morning Post. Aggregated in Chan, Ho-him (8 November 2019). "Night of violence and grief in Hong Kong as city mourns death of student Chow Tsz-lok, leading to confrontations with police and vandalism at university". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019.
  22. Chen, Qingqing; Zhao, Yusha (8 November 2019). "More violence feared after HK student's death". Global Times. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019.
  23. Banjo, Shelly; Lung, Natalie (11 November 2019). "How Fake News and Rumors Are Stoking Division in Hong Kong". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 13 November 2019.
  24. Chen, Laurie (8 November 2019). "Global Times chief calls for Hong Kong University of Science and Technology boycott over attack on mainland student". South China Morning Post. Aggregated in Chen, Laurie (8 November 2019). "Global Times chief calls for Hong Kong University of Science and Technology boycott over attack on mainland student". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020.
  25. Yan, Alice (11 November 2019). "HKUST condemnation of attack on student fails to dispel mainlanders' safety fears amid Hong Kong protests". South China Morning Post.
  26. "Thousands gather for vigil in central Hong Kong to mourn death of student Chow Tsz-lok then disperse peacefully". South China Morning Post. 9 November 2019. Aggregated in "Thousands gather for vigil in central Hong Kong to mourn death of student Chow Tsz-lok then disperse peacefully". Yahoo! News. 9 November 2019. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019.
  27. Perper, Rosie (24 December 2019). "Behind the barricades: Hong Kong protesters share what happened during the violent clashes with police on university campuses". Insider.
  28. "Urgent investigation into the events which led up to Chow Tsz-lok's death". Amnesty International Hong Kong. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019.
  29. Ng, Eileen (8 November 2019). "Hong Kong student's death fuels more anger against police". PBS NewsHour. Associated Press.
  30. "Police response to open letter by President of HKUST, Professor Shyy Wei". The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 9 November 2019. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019.
  31. Cheng, Kris (2 December 2019). "Funeral home denies it refused services for family of Hong Kong student who died following fall near protest". Hong Kong Free Press.
  32. 陳栢宇 (29 November 2019). "傳周梓樂家人遭寶福山拒絕辦理後事 譚小環與丈夫仗義相助". HK01 (in Chinese).
  33. 凌逸德 (30 November 2019). "【悼念周梓樂】寶福紀念館：已受託為周梓樂辦喪禮 12月12日設靈". HK01 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 28 June 2020.
  34. Sum, Lok-kei (12 December 2019). "Thousands attend memorial service in Hong Kong for student Chow Tsz-lok, who died after car-park fall near police dispersal operation". South China Morning Post. Aggregated in Sum, Lok-kei (12 December 2019). "Thousands attend memorial service in Hong Kong for student Chow Tsz-lok, who died after car-park fall near police dispersal operation". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020.
  35. "西貢區議會動議 將軍澳兩公園以周梓樂陳彥霖命名 設紀念碑、壁畫、連儂牆". Stand News (in Chinese). Hong Kong. 25 February 2020.
  36. "西貢區議員倡周梓樂紀念公園惹爭議 承認未獲家屬同意". Hong Kong In-Media (in Chinese). 28 February 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.