Chinese bomb suspect shot dead after 16-hour standoff with police
- The man was wanted for theft, but barricaded himself in his flat when police came round and repeatedly threatened to set off home-made explosive devices
- Officers said the suspect had ignored repeated warnings and seven homemade devices were later found and made safe in the apartment
A man who threatened to detonate explosives in a 16-hour standoff with police in southwest China was shot dead on Wednesday.
Police in Guangan, a city of 3.3 million in Sichuan province, said the man, identified only by his surname Ma, was wanted for theft and officers went to his rented flat on Tuesday morning.
They said the suspect was holding a device that appeared to be a remote control and showed the officers four devices that appeared to be explosives, threatening to set off a blast.
He also claimed that he had dozens of kilos of explosives in the apartment.
Police spent the next 16 hours negotiating with the man, who repeatedly threatened to set off an explosion and refused to surrender.
“On-site police officers shot the criminal suspect Ma dead ... at about 3.30 am on June 23 to avoid causing major harm after repeated warnings were made in vain,” the force said in a statement published on Weibo.