Eye-witnesses express outrage after truck-driving protester shot dead by SWAT team
Yunnan police say officers had no choice but to shoot suspect; witnesses say he was no threat
A man driving a truck who was reportedly upset about land compensation was shot dead by a SWAT team outside a local government building last week, mainland media have reported.
Three pedestrians were hit by the vehicle during the incident in Zhenxiong county, reported.
But witnesses said the truck ran out of control only after police shot the driver. Police maintain officers followed the law and handled the situation correctly. They fired four times, two of them warning shots, using 12 bullets in total, police said.
More than 100 people have signed a letter saying the man "did not threaten public safety".
The victim was identified as Fang Jiushu. He and his brother, Fang Jiucheng, drove a truck carrying banners, accusing authorities of being unjust, to local government offices on Thursday. They wanted to speak with the office chief over compensation tied to construction of an electricity grid on family land.
They brothers had been jailed briefly in 2012 for starting a fight after blocking the project, Fang's wife told the . They were able to meet some officials but not the office chief, and when staff asked them to leave, they refused.
