Urban management (chengguan) authorities in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province said Wednesday they have fired and punished the officers who beat the owner of a bicycle shop and stomped on his head. Two officers are in custody.
After a video of the incident posted online on Friday went viral, it sparked public outrage over the brutal tactics used by the officers, amid the belief that authorities are passing the buck by blaming contract employees.
Of the eight officers involved in Friday's incident, six temporary employees were fired by the urban management bureau, with the other two regular employees being penalized. Two temporary workers have been detained by the police for their behavior, People's Daily Online reported Wednesday following a press conference held by the city's government.
According to the video, the officers are attempting to confiscate several bicycles from outside the store. The confrontation turned violent, with the chengguan and several people dressed in cycling clothing entering the fray.
The owner of the store, Liu Guofeng, is seen lying on the ground, when a heavy-set officer deliberately jumps on his head with both feet. Liu was left bleeding and unconscious.
An employee surnamed Li from the Merida bicycle shop told the Global Times that Liu is in hospital with injuries to his head and chest, and must have an operation on his collarbone. He said that the officers confiscated five bicycles that day and have not returned them.
"A group of chengguan got out of their van and took the bicycles from in front of the shop without saying anything," Li said. "What happened in the video was after Liu came to stop the chengguan."
Li alleged that he and his colleagues thought the officers smelled of alcohol.
An official from the local urban management watchdog brigade told the People's Daily Online Monday that the shop had illegally parked bikes on the sidewalk before and officers issued alerts to them several times ordering them to rectify.
"Every time they asked us to put the bicycles in order, we followed the request. On Friday, there weren't many bicycles in front of the shop and they were in order," Li said, adding the bicycles belong to customers.
Police have also come in for criticism after the video shows a police vehicle passing by but not stopping during the spat.
An employee surnamed Li from Baotashan police station in Yan'an said the vehicle was from Ansai county.
"The over-aggressive act hadn't occurred yet and conflicts between chengguan and business owners are common, so they didn't stop," Li said, adding that the police set up a team to investigate the violence.
Zhu Lijia, a public management professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said that while hiring temporary employees is common for government agencies, the institution should still be held accountable when lapses occur during law enforcement.
"The agencies should strengthen the officers' education and management even if they're temporary," Zhu said.
