Constable Chu Chun-kwok, who was left paralysed after having his neck slashed while on duty in 2005, has died at the age of 51 after more than two decades battling his injuries.
The incident occurred on the morning of July 19, 2005, when Chu, then 30, was on patrol in Cheung Sha Wan and approached a suspicious man. The man suddenly attacked him with a fruit knife, severing his carotid artery. Chu gave chase but lost consciousness due to massive blood loss and brain hypoxia, leaving him paralysed from the neck down.
The attacker, surnamed Liu, then 23, surrendered to police and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released on parole in April 2011 after serving five years and nine months.
Chu received various treatments, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Guangzhou, but showed no signs of improvement. His mother and wife cared for him throughout the years. His daughter, who was eight at the time of the attack, later graduated in art and design in Australia.
In a past interview, Chu's wife said their daughter understood that her father had been injured while fulfilling his duties as a police officer. The daughter has said she is proud of her father and hopes to write a book about her experiences, saying: "I hope if I have children in the future, they will know my father was a hero."
