Society

Officers held after pair injured by gunfire

By Zhang Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-21 08:58

NANNING - A police officer from South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region who allegedly shot and wounded two hotel employees has been detained as investigators probe the incident, local authorities said on Wednesday.

Lu Tao, 38, an officer from the Xingbin branch of the public security bureau of Laibin city, allegedly shot the two workers from the Hangkong Hotel in the city of Guilin, on Monday after getting into an argument with them, Guilin's public security bureau said in a statement.

The manager of the hotel's entertainment section, surnamed Li, and an employee surnamed Qin were named as the two people who were wounded.

Li's vital organs were not damaged and he is in stable condition. Qin was more seriously hurt and is in intensive care after having undergone seven hours of surgery, said doctors from No 181 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army.

Lu was taken into custody, along with a colleague, a police officer surnamed Huang. Both men were allegedly involved in the dispute that led up to the shooting, the statement said.

"We are actively cooperating with the prosecuting authority and conducting a comprehensive investigation of the incident and will severely deal with the suspects in accordance with the law," a press officer surnamed Liu from the Guilin public security bureau told China Daily on Wednesday.

Investigators believe Lu and Huang had dinner at the Hangkong Hotel on Monday evening. The pair allegedly got into a row with hotel staff over the bill, Liu said.

After the incident, Guangxi public security department and Guilin public security bureau formed a joint investigation team, with the participation of prosecutors.

In China, legal firearms and ammunition are only available for use by judicial organs, anti-smuggling operatives and for safeguarding the security of military industries or financial and scientific research institutions.

The carrying and use of firearms by the police have also been strictly managed in China, said Yin Wei, a professor with the Chinese People's Public Security University.

"Only some special kinds of police forces, such as SWAT teams and patrol police, are qualified to carry firearms, and they must have certificates," he said.

"According to the police equipment and weapon usage regulation, police officers are not supposed to use firearms unless there are special circumstances, such as a murder, kidnapping or hijacking, or something that seriously endangers people's lives and property rights or that might greatly harm social order."

Yin stressed that officers are strictly prohibited from using firearms while drunk, when in a crowded public place or if there are inflammable materials or explosives nearby.

"When they are forced to use their firearms in an emergency, they should first fire a warning shot and, only if that fails, can they shoot at a suspect," the professor said.