Man shot by police during row with girlfriend seeks compensation

[IronMaiden]

Canadian man shot by police during row with girlfriend seeks compensation from Hong Kong police

PUBLISHED : Sunday, 08 November, 2015, 3:10am
UPDATED : Sunday, 08 November, 2015, 3:10am

Julie Chu
[email protected]

Simon Joseph Gorka after he was shot three years ago.

A Canadian man is seeking compensation from the Hong Kong police force after he was shot and injured while officers were trying to settle a dispute between him and his girlfriend, according to a High Court writ.

Simon Joseph Gorka, 34, filed the lawsuit with the secretary for justice on behalf of the commissioner of police. The writ says the incident happened outside the Caribbean Coast housing estate in Tung Chung in the early hours of November 10, 2012.

Gorka is claiming damages over "a gun shooting … intentionally and/or occasioned by negligence on the part of the defendant". He did not specify the amount of damages he is seeking.

According to previous reports, Gorka had an argument with his Chinese girlfriend earlier that night. When police responded to her call for help they found Gorka drunk and emotional. They also noticed he had a steak knife and two fruit knives.

When they saw Gorka using a fruit knife to cut himself, they warned him to stop.

After officers gave Gorka a number of warnings, a sergeant fired one shot with his gun. Gorka sustained a bullet wound to his left inner thigh and lost blood. Apart from the shot wound, he also suffered some cuts.

He was treated in the intensive care unit at Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung.

Gorka was charged with possession offensive weapons and attempting to wound another person. He denied the charges and a trial was held at Tsuen Wan Court in 2013.

The court was told four police officers were called to the scene that night. They asked Gorka to put down the knives many times, but he shouted: "I will kill you, shoot me."

The police gave him further warnings and said to him many times: "Don't move, otherwise we will open fire."

But Gorka continued to walk close to the policemen. One officer felt his life was under threat, prompting him to fire his gun.

Gorka told the court he was suffering from depression and was required to take medication regularly.

A magistrate accepted that Gorka's behaviour might have been affected by the medication and acquitted him of all charges.

Shooting incidents involving the police are rare. One that did make headlines involved a Nepali man who was shot dead by an officer in 2009. This led to claims that the force lacked sensitivity in dealing with ethnic minorities. The officer was cleared.