The 34-year-old died in hospital after suffering two shots to his chest and right shoulder.
The force was alerted to the case at around 7.10pm, when the man took a 12-inch knife from a store in Tuen Mun Town Plaza.
Officers who arrived at the scene found the man brandishing the knife on Tuen Wui Road.
After issuing a verbal warning, an officer fired one round from a pepper spray gun before the man ran into the shopping mall and left using another exit.
He then grabbed a female passer-by and held her hostage, despite officers’ warning.
“Two of our officers from the emergency unit each fired a shot at the man. The man got shot and immediately fell to the ground. He was then subdued by officers,” said senior superintendent Eileen Chung.
He was rushed to Tuen Mun Hospital and died at 8.40pm. The passer-by, meanwhile, was treated for minor abrasions.
Chung said officers found a baton and a packet of suspected drugs in the man’s bag.
She said it could not be ruled out that the 34-year-old, who had triad affiliations and criminal records, was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.
Deputy Tuen Mun district commander Wong Ho-hon explained that the officers had good reason to open fire given the severity of the case.
“For police officers to use lethal weapons, what we aim to do is to stop the violent act of the actor. In this present incident, it’s exactly what we have done – stop the violence of that actor to save the life of an innocent bystander,” Wong said.
The officers had aimed at the biggest part of the body as per guidelines on the use of firearms, he added.
