Hong Kong man ends 4-hour rooftop stand-off after roaming building with knife, scissors

A Hong Kong man stood up on the roof of a housing estate for more than four hours after roaming his building with sharp objects and knocking on neighbours’ doors, prompting authorities to deploy a negotiator and an air mattress.

Police said they received a report at 10.56am from the 48-year-old man’s girlfriend. The man was believed to be suffering from a psychotic episode at Kin Shue House in Lei Muk Shue Estate in Tsuen Wan.

The nature of the man’s condition is currently unclear.

Firefighters prepared an air mattress as the man sat on the edge of the roof. Before ascending to the top of the building, he had been knocking on neighbours’ doors while carrying a pair of scissors and a knife.

Authorities also deployed a negotiator to the scene.

Images taken by local media showed the man in shorts and slippers stepping out onto a small metal rod extending from a wall and holding onto the edge of the building, before shifting to the top of a concrete hood above an air conditioner.