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Hong Kong Police Slammed as 'Trigger-Happy' after Teen Shot

Associated Press

   HONG KONG - Heads bowed and dressed in black, schoolmates of a teenage
   demonstrator shot at close range in the chest by a Hong Kong riot
   officer condemned police tactics and demanded accountability Wednesday.

   The shooting Tuesday during widespread anti-government demonstrations
   on China's National Day marked a fearsome escalation in Hong Kong's
   protest violence. The 18-year-old is the first known victim of police
   gunfire since the protests began in June. His condition in the hospital
   was described by the government as stable on Wednesday.

   The officer fired as the protester struck him with a metal rod. His use
   of lethal weaponry is sure to inflame widespread public anger about
   police tactics during the crisis, widely condemned as heavy handed.

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