New | No charges for five policemen over death of Beijing man while in custody
Plain-clothes officers choked environmental scientist Lei Yang before he died, but their offences were minor, district prosecutors find
Five Beijing police officers investigated over the death in custody of a 29-year-old environmental scientist this year would not face court, after prosecutors decided their offences were “minor”, state media reported on Friday.
Investigators found the five officers choked Lei Yang, the father of a then one-month-old baby boy, shortly before his death. They had also pressed their knees against Lei’s neck and face, and stamped on his face, Xinhua reported. About 50 minutes later he was rushed to a nearby hospital, showing no signs of life.
Lei showed signs of suffocating but the officers did not send him to the hospital in time, resulting in his death, the investigation concluded. The officers had also tried to cover up the case and stall investigators by lying.
Fengtai district procurators said in a statement that the officers were derelict in their duty but the offences were too minor to warrant penalties.
Lei died roughly an hour after he was arrested by plainclothes police in Changping district on May 7.