Boxer probed for assaulting police officer in Central brawl
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(Photo above shows Denise Lizo giving his account of the incident to Hong Kong News)
Besides fighting in public, a Filipino boxer is also being investigated for assaulting a police officer during a much-publicized brawl in Central on June 17, a police spokesperson told Hong Kong News on Wednesday.
The spokesperson said the HK resident was being investigated after he injured one of the police officers who responded to the brawl along D’Aguilar Street on Sunday. A video of the brawl went viral online.
“Police received a report on June 17 that several men were fighting at D’Aguilar Street in Central. Police arrived at scene and arrested one local and two NEC (non-ethnic Chinese) males aged between 38 and 50,” the police said in a statement to Hong Kong News.
“During the course of arrest, a local male assaulted a police officer leading to injury on his wrist,” the police said.
The police added that they were investigating the suspects for “fighting in a public place” and “assaulting a police officer”.
“All the arrested persons have been released on Police bail and were required to report back in late July. The case is being investigated by the District Investigation Team 5 of Central District,” the police said.
The brawl erupted at around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday near Lan Kwai Fong, one of HK’s most popular nightlife spots.
It involved two groups of Filipinos—brothers Enrique and Denise Lizo (50 and 47 years old, respectively) and the group of HK resident Sebastian Chancell Wong, a Muay Thai (Thai boxing) instructor.
Denise Lizo went to the Central police station on Wednesday to file a complaint against boxer Jay Solmiano, who was also allegedly involved in the brawl.
Denise said it was Wong, also known as Sebastian Yip or Kid Wong, who apparently injured the policeman.
“Even when there were already policemen, Kid was still trying to punch me. I was trying to take cover behind the policemen because I was already groggy at the time,” Denise told Hong Kong News in an interview.
“The police embraced (Wong to stop him). When the policeman visited me in the hospital, his clothes were bloodied,” he added.
Denise said he and his brother, both family drivers, and Wong’s group had come from a bar in Lan Kwai Fong before the incident happened.
He denied reports that the two groups had already fought at the bar, adding that he even greeted Solmiano there.
“Actually, Jay Solmiano is my friend in Facebook. We know each other and we see each other on the basketball court (in Wan Chai). I know him not only by name,” Denise said.
“Every time he posts on Facebook, I always comment and congratulate him. He’s my idol. I even have a picture with him, with both of us posing for the camera,” he added.
Denise said they were going down from Lan Kwai Fong when they saw Wong slap a Filipino woman, who was with Wong’s group.
“My brother and I only had two bottles of San Mig Light (at the bar) and my brother was carrying one bottle when we saw Kid and Jay. Kid was slapping the woman, a Filipina,” Denise said.
“My elder brother (told Wong), ‘Bro, don’t do that to her. Pity the woman.’ I told my brother, knowing (Wong and Solmiano) were boxing experts, ‘Bro, don’t get involved. Let us go,” he added.
According to Denise, it was Wong who started the brawl when the Muay Thai instructor tried to hit him with a flying kick.
Denise said he was able to avoid the flying kick and also tried to avoid Wong’s other attacks.
He said his elder brother tried to break up the fight and hit Wong on the head with the beer bottle he was carrying, but Wong allegedly kept attacking Denise with a belt buckle.
Denise said he then saw Solmiano punch his elder brother.
“One punch on the chin. (It was a) knockout. I saw how my brother fell on the ground,” he said.
Denise said he lunged at Solmiano to protect his brother. He then embraced his brother on the ground but the two boxers allegedly continued punching and kicking him.
“I was on the ground when I saw a Chinese man who was looking at us. I asked him, ‘Please, call the police,” he said.
Denise said he was able to run later to the direction of Sheung Wan and he met two responding policemen.
He said Wong, who ran after him, allegedly kept on trying to punch him.
But in a TV interview, Wong said it was one of the Lizo brothers who started the fight.
He also denied hurting the Filipino woman, adding that he was only trying to pacify her because she was becoming unruly.
Wong said it was Denise’s elder brother, Enrique, who started the brawl when he suddenly hit Wong on the head with the beer bottle.
Wong said he and Solmiano tried to get away but the two brothers went after them. He added that Solmiano also had to defend himself because he was also attacked.
Fighting in public carries a maximum penalty of $5,000 and 12 months imprisonment in HK while a person who assaults a police officer can be imprisoned up to two years.