Trigger-happy Shenzhen police cause public concern
Two shootings by officers raises questions about when and where they should open fire
Public concern about the abuse of guns by police is increasing, with a newspaper reporting yesterday that police in Shenzhen had been encouraged to "pull the trigger" promptly when required.
There have been two recent cases of Shenzhen policemen shooting people dead in personal disputes.
The Beijing News reported yesterday that top Shenzhen police officials had urged police to shoot suspects who attacked them. For the past six years, all police on duty in the city have been armed with pistols, the newspaper said.
Shenzhen police refused to comment about the public concerns but said police would fire warning shots before shooting violent suspects.
The report said Shenzhen authorities dealt with 30 cases of violent assault of police in July 2006. On July 26 that year, Qian Weigong, then deputy head of Shenzhen's public security bureau, said in public: "On encountering criminals who resist arrest or violently assault police officers, our policemen should pull the trigger without hesitation."
On November 27, 2008, a police officer shot dead a car thief who attacked him with a knife. Li Ming, the city's deputy mayor and head of its public security bureau, commended the policeman, saying: "[We] should encourage such courage, to shoot [criminals]."