Fury as Hunan watermelon seller is 'beaten to death by chengguan'
Watermelon seller in Hunan suspected to being the victim of strong-arm tactics by 'chengguan'
The death of a Hunan watermelon vendor has reignited public outrage against the chengguan force in China as the latest incident of what some call excessive violence has triggered a protest in the south-central province.
Linwu farmer Deng Zhengjia, 56, was reported dead on Wednesday morning after he and his wife clashed with local urban management officers at their stand. The Beijing News quoted a witness as saying eight officers beat the couple while one of them struck Deng's head with a metal measuiring weight. When Deng fell to the ground, the chengguan refused to call an ambulance and left the scene, witnesses said.
An ambulance later arrived, but Deng was already dead. His wife, who had minor wounds, was taken to hospital.
The conflict first began when chengguang fined the couple 100 yuan (HK$126) and confiscated some of their watermelons, saying they were operating a vendor stand without a licence and proper uniforms, according to Deng's relatives.