QINGDAO, Aug. 18-- An east China court on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for running over and killing a police officer.

Qingdao Intermediate People's Court in Shandong Province found Cui Sifeng guilty of intentional homicide, the court said in a statement.

The court deprived Cui of his political rights for life and ordered him to pay 30,430 yuan (about 5,759.2 U.S. dollars) in compensation to the victim's family.

Cui's girlfriend, Sun, was taken into police custody in Qingdao on March 10 for drug abuse. She said Cui had supplied her with the drugs, so police waited at the hotel Sun was staying in to catch Cui.

Cui drove up to the hotel in his SUV at around 2:30 p.m. When he realized the police were there, he ran over officer Wang Xin twice, and injured another police officer.

Wang died in hospital on March 25.

Cui had a criminal record, the court said, and had served prison time for drug trafficking.

He said he plans to lodge an appeal.