A Hong Kong police officer seen placing a taxi driver who later died right into a chokehold has advised an inquest that he got here into contact with the person’s neck “by chance” throughout a battle.
Constable Lam Wai-wing was a part of a police workforce dealing with a report made by taxi driver Chan Fai-wong on November 11, 2012, and his subsequent arrest for assault.
Lam advised the Coroner’s Courtroom on Wednesday that his preliminary try to maneuver Chan right into a police car was unsuccessful, with surveillance footage displaying him locking the taxi driver by the neck.
The court docket is re-examining the loss of life of Chan, 65, in December 2012, a month after his arrest. He died from problems from a cervical dislocation.
Chan, who was taking a Japanese couple from West Kowloon to Hong Kong Island on November 11, 2012, parked his taxi close to the administration constructing of the Western Harbour Tunnel on account of a dispute with the male passenger on the toll sales space. Chan made a report back to police.
Lam mentioned he had bodily contact with Chan out of a accountability to manage an arrested particular person, describing the motive force as emotionally agitated, uncooperative and placing up “defensive resistance” when officers tried to place him right into a police automotive for additional questioning at a police station.
