A Hong Kong police officer was caught on video Tuesday repeatedly blasting a pregnant woman in the face with pepper spray for no apparent reason.
Another police officer was suspended over a viral video from Monday that showed him deliberately ramming his motorcycle through a crowd of protesters.
The video clip posted on Tuesday showed the pregnant woman talking with a crowd of riot police when one of them suddenly hit her in the face with pepper spray, possibly in response to something she said to him. The woman backed away and tried to protect her face while the officer pursued her and sprayed her again.
When she became agitated and slapped at the officer, other riot police rushed forward to wrestle her down and shoot her with more chemicals. The clip ended with the pregnant woman collapsed in a heap, surrounded by riot police who kept bystanders from getting involved. There was no visible violent activity in progress at the time.
The Daily Mail reported the incident occurred in Hung Hom at roughly 10:00 a.m. local time. The Daily Mail noted the clip was posted online by democracy activist Joshua Wong and “has not been separately verified.” The woman has evidently not been identified or her pregnancy independently confirmed.
Another viral video prompting outrage in Hong Kong showed a motorcycle cop driving repeatedly through a crowd of protesters on Monday:
According to the Hong Kong Free Press, the officer in the video has been suspended and placed on mandatory leave pending further investigation.
A police spokesman said the motorcycle officer was reacting in an enraged manner after one of his colleagues was temporarily blinded by protesters who sprayed an unknown substance in his face.
“He tried to separate his colleagues and the rioters. According to the officer, he was attacked with hammers and punched while driving,” the spokesman said.