Over the past few months, police officers have remained undaunted in maintaining public order despite facing extreme danger in handling protests and violent clashes. Many officers were attacked by rioters and some of them sustained serious injuries. Four injured officers shared their stories with OffBeat.

Sergeant Alex (pseudonym)

On the afternoon of October 13, while Alex was handling a case of criminal damage at Kwun Tong MTR station, a rioter used a sharp-edged object to slash Alex's neck from behind, severing a vein and nerves on the right side of his neck.

Alex said, "It was only when I saw my wife in hospital that I realised I was so close to death. I owe my family. If I lose my life, I would leave behind my wife and children." Though his surgery was successful, Alex can now only speak in a weak voice and faces a long road to recovery.

Despite his injury, Alex said he had no regrets of working on the front line. "As a sergeant, I have to ensure the safety of my subordinates in the course of duty. It is lucky that I was the one injured, not my colleagues. I believe every supervisor thinks the same." In the face of enormous challenges, Alex and other frontline officers have remained steadfast with a strong sense of commitment. He noted that Force members have become more united and their sense of belonging to the Force has grown stronger during this trying period.

After Alex was injured, many Force members and citizens sent their best wishes to him. Alex said, "I received lots of greeting cards from members of the public. In particular, I was deeply impressed by the encouraging message from a 90-year old elderly person. I believe that many Hong Kong people still support the Force."

"I will not give up my career as a police officer despite current social circumstances. I hope I will soon recover so that I can return to the front line to maintain law and order," Alex said resolutely.

Sergeant Ah Wai

On the afternoon of October 1, Ah Wai and his colleagues were on board two police vehicles at the junction between Waterloo Road and Nathan Road in Yau Ma Tei. As one of the vehicles was besieged and vandalised by radical protesters, Ah Wai and his colleagues got off their vehicle to disperse the crowd. Unfortunately, they were attacked by the rioters with hard objects including bamboo sticks. Ah Wai sustained injury on his forehead which required six stitches. There were bruises on his body as well.

Ah Wai recalled, "We were surrounded by nearly one hundred rioters at that time. About 20 to 30 rioters standing in the front attacked us with rods and weapons and hurled objects at us. As we were not engaging in an anti-riot operation, we only had daily equipment with us. We must leave the scene as early as possible." Under fierce attack, Ah Wai pointed his gun at the rioters while his colleague fired a warning shot in the air to protect their own safety.

Ah Wai did not understand why protesters resorted to violence and attacked police officers. "It is the duty of police officers to safeguard Hong Kong and we have never shirked our responsibility. Regrettably, some people smear the Force with false allegations, inciting hatred against police officers. But I believe as long as we serve with dedication, members of the public will appreciate our efforts," he said.

Detective Police Constable Ah Pau (pseudonym)

On the night of July 14, police officers conducted a dispersal operation at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin. A protester put up a fierce struggle when Ah Pau was arresting him. At the same time, three men came forward to assist the arrestee to escape. During the scuffle, Ah Pau's left ring finger was fractured and its nerves were severed.

A steel plate has been implanted inside Ah Bau's finger to fix the fractured bone. He has to undergo a surgery after one year to remove the steel plate. He is now unable to straighten his finger and his hand lacks strength. His doctor said he will not fully recover and the injury may affect his work in future.

Ah Pau said, "During Occupy Central Movement, police officers had to face verbal insults most of the time. Protesters only hurled plastic bottles at us, not bricks or petrol bombs. Nowadays, protesters have become more radical and we are facing increasing danger in the course of duty."

Police Constable Ah Ming (pseudonym)

On the night of June 9, Ah Ming and his colleagues were stationed in the vicinity of the Legislative Council Complex. At around mid-night, protesters charged the cordon line of the Police. One of Ah Ming's colleagues was attacked by the protesters and fell on the ground. Though Ah Ming was only equipped with a baton, he came forward to protect his colleague. Unfortunately, the protesters pushed Ah Ming onto the ground and kept kicking his head.

Ah Ming said, "I did not wear a helmet at that time. As the protesters kept attacking my head, I sustained injuries on the corner of my right eye and lost my vision. Someone even attempted to snatch my baton." Ah Ming's seniors immediately came to his rescue.

Ah Ming received 20 stitches on his wound and has a scar on the cornea of his right eye. Though his eyesight is not affected, he now has headache from time to time. Ah Ming's family members worry that he may get injured again but they understand that Ah Ming must maintain law and order as a police officer. Ah Ming hopes that violence will soon come to an end and Hong Kong can become a safe city again.