Published: 6:47pm, 6 Jan 2025Updated: 10:49pm, 6 Jan 2025
A Hong Kong customs officer has been arrested on suspicion of tampering with a vehicle after he tried to stop a motorcycle apparently fleeing from police, narrowly missing the rider who later crashed and died.
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The officer, 40, was arrested on suspicion of breaching the Road Traffic Ordinance after the incident took place on Friday, with the incident caught on dashcam footage that sparked a heated discussion.
A police spokesman said on Monday that the man had been released on bail, with the force to seek advice from the Department of Justice.
Under the ordinance, if a person, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, gets into a vehicle or tampers with any part of it, the individual commits an offence and is liable to a fine of HK$5,000 (US$640), and imprisonment for up to 12 months.
Dashcam footage of the incident on Friday shows the off-duty officer standing in the middle of the road, preparing to intercept the motorbike as it headed towards him at high speed.
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In the clip, the officer’s right hand is briefly seen connecting with the motorcyclist as the bike speeds past him.
The crash took place at 5.46pm as the motorcycle ridden by a 27-year-old man surnamed Wong was travelling along Wang Kee Street towards Lam Hing Street in Kowloon Bay, according to police.