Hong Kong police charge YouTuber, 2 others with assault over soaking of officers and reporters at Thai new year event
Hong Kong police have charged a YouTuber and two other men with assault for allegedly soaking officers and reporters with water guns during a Thai new year celebration earlier this year.
The trio was slapped with a total of six counts on Friday at the Kowloon City Court over allegedly illegal acts that took place at the Songkran festival in Kowloon City in April.
Taxi driver Tsang Wai-shing and clerk Ip Ka-kin, both 26, and adult products retailer Yuen Tsz-kin, 31, were jointly charged with assaulting three auxiliary constables and two men at a section of South Wall Road on April 9.
Tsang and Yuen were also charged with attacking another man at the same location.
Police arrested the trio after a YouTube video appeared to show the group spraying water at police officers and reporters from TVB, the city’s biggest free-to-air broadcaster.
The clip, posted by Tsang on his channel “Bravedogdog”, has notched up more than 75,000 views and is still accessible to users.
The three men were arrested between April 12 and 17, with each being released on a HK$1,000 (US$127) bail, before the force later decided to charge them.
A charge sheet available for press inspection did not reveal the identities of the three men reportedly under attack apart from mentioning their names. The three officers concerned were only referred to by their serial numbers.
2 Hong Kong men arrested after ‘soaking Hong Kong officers with water gun’
2 Hong Kong men arrested after ‘soaking Hong Kong officers with water gun’
Principal Magistrate Don So Man-lung granted a request by the defence to adjourn the case for two months so the accused could examine the prosecution’s evidence.
He extended the trio’s bail but increased each of their cash bonds to HK$20,000.
The magistrate also barred the three from leaving Hong Kong. He ordered them to report to police every day and continue living at the respective addresses provided to the court.
The defendants are expected to return to the same court in early December.
