Hong Kong police confirmed with the Global Times that it has obtained the medical record of the female protester who got shot in the eye during a protest, saying it is under review.
During a Monday conference, the Hong Kong police said that the Hong Kong hospital authority has handed over the medical report of the female protester, who was reportedly shot in the eye near Tsim Sha Tsui during an illegal protest on August 11.
The police later confirmed with the Global Times that they have obtained the report.
The police stressed at the conference that the report, which was acquired under the court's warrant, can only be used for investigation, and thus won't be published now. By analyzing the evidences obtained, the police are confident to retrace what happened that night.
The use of a court ordered warrant to obtain medical report of the protester is a legitimate move if the material helps solve the case, explained the police.
After she was shot, many local and foreign media began to hype up that she was hit by a police beanbag during the violent protest.
Without verifying details of the woman's attack, radical protesters then launched large-scale protests in which many covered their eyes with a black patch and chanted "an eye for an eye", implying their condemnation of police's "excessive use of violence" while enforcing the law.
The police clarified the situation on a conference the day after and said that there is no evidence that shows the cause of this incident was related to the police.
Tsim Sha Tsui police station was attacked with Molotov cocktails on Sunday night, said Hong Kong Police Officer Li Kwai-hai of the organized crime and triad bureau.
The police would only act after they received sufficient support, Officer Li said.
The female protester was injured before necessary police reinforcements arrived, he explained.
It was impossible for police to fire at the woman as it was "technically impossible for the police to shoot her in the eye," a former senior police officer, who preferred to be anonymous, told the Global Times.
After the incident, many Hongkongers, including Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Hong Kong lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, urged the female protester shot in the eye to stand up and speak out for the truth, asking "Why are you hiding?"