Hong Kong police have arrested a 71-year-old man accused of attacking a woman and her son following a dispute over his smoking in a pedestrian tunnel. The incident took place in Tai Wai on Saturday morning. The son was hospitalized with a head injury.
On Saturday morning around 8:30 a.m., a 58-year-old woman and her 29-year-old son complained about a 71-year-old man smoking inside a pedestrian tunnel at Che Kung Miu Road in Tai Wai, Hong Kong. According to police, the dispute escalated when the man poured water on the woman and struck her son with a water bottle, causing a head injury to the son, who was taken to Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin for treatment.
“They had a dispute, and the arrestee made the attack,” police said. The elderly man was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault. The case remains under investigation.
The incident highlights ongoing issues with enforcing smoking bans in public spaces, despite Hong Kong's strict no-smoking regulations. Similar disputes occasionally arise, and police urge the public to comply with rules to prevent conflicts. The victims received medical assistance.