Six face charges of 'intentional injury' in death of watermelon vendor
Officials face criminal charges of 'intentional injury' as family is offered compensation
Six urban management officers from Hunan's Linwu county have been detained on criminal charges related to the beating death of a watermelon seller last week, according to state media.
The officers were sent to a detention centre in Chenzhou city for causing "intentional injury" to the street vendor Deng Zhengjia, 56, who died as a result of his injuries, Xinhua reported, citing officials from the Linwu county government.
Xinhua last night reported that the head of the county urban management bureau, Hu Chen, and his deputy Zou Hongwei, were sacked and put under investigation.
Deng's death during clashes with the unpopular urban management force, also known as the , prompted a large protest in Linwu last week, as well as a national public outcry.
Xinhua quoted the local government as saying that it would provide compensation of 897,000 yuan (HK$1.1 million) to the family. Deng's son, Deng Qingqiang, told that he was offered the amount but had not received the money yet.
The arrests came a day after a microblog user claiming to be Deng's daughter, Deng Yanlin, praised authorities for their "appropriate" response and said the family was satisfied.
