Man Dies while in Custody: Police Claims Man Launches Fight, but Surveillance Camera Broken; No Footage Provided

File photo: Lei Yang

Lei Yang, 29, father of a baby girl less than a month old, is found dead while in custody of the suburban Beijing’s Changping police on Saturday evening. What exactly happened during the two hours leading up the death has become the subject of nationwide scrutiny.

In a public announcement released by Changping local police on China's microblogging site Weibo at 1:44 a.m. on Wednesday, it said that Lei was apprehended for soliciting prostitution at 21:14 on Saturday, that he had used violence against the police, and that the camera held by the police was broken in the chaos.

According to the announcement, while Lei was escorted back to the police station, he “suddenly did not feel well”. Lei was rushed to the hospital at 22:05, and died at 22:55.

The hospital Lei was sent to

The announcement was made in a time of sleep in China, but it immediately went viral once published on China’s microblogging site Weibo. Many netizens were shocked and found the incidient skeptical.

“The camera was so conveniently broken,” one commented. “The camera might as well be broken, but what about the memory card in it? It can’t be broken. Show us the footage and everything will be clear,” one said.

According to caixin.com, Lei’s family on Monday afternoon resorted to the two surveillance cameras in the residential area where Lei Yang was apprehended. However, their attempt was in vain. “The lens are broken. There was no footage recorded,” as they were told by the estate management staff. “The police went to the estate management staff on Monday morning,” said Lei’s father-in-law.

The residential block where Lei was apprehended

The announcement elaborated that police found Lei, who was leaving a foot massage place, suspicious. And it was claimed that Lei attempted to escape during the arrest by biting the police. Lei then made a second attempt after being taken into a police vehicle by kicking the driver to stop and opening the car door, but was again “contained” by the police.

Lei is suspected of soliciting prostitution, and the evidence of his such conduct was the 200 yuan (US$30.68) he paid for the prostitution at the foot massage place.

The foot massage place

“I don’t care about the prostitution thing. I am asking if there is any wrongdoing in the process of reinforcing the law,” said Lei’s widowed wife. The case was brought to the attention of public when an article was posted on Weibo, titled“It is true!!! Beijing Changping police has beaten man to death!!!Family and friends ask for justice!!”

According to his family, Lei was at home until around 9 p.m. on Saturday, when he headed to the airport to pick up a relative and had hence lost contact. Only at 1:01 a.m. on Sunday was he phone picked up by the police, asking the family to come over to the police station. At 4:30 a.m., the family saw the body of Lei Yang, whom they claimed was covered with cuts and bruises on the head. Family members also said Lei had a good relationship with his wife, casting doubt that he would go looking for a prostitute.

Lei’s doctor, surnamed Zhang, is the director of the emergency department to which Lei was sent. Zhang told CCTV that Lei arrived at 10:09 p.m. He was unconscious, and after 45 minutes of attempts at resuscitation, he still remained unconscious. At 10:55 p.m., Lei was declared dead.

Zhang said that there were droplets of blood discharged from Lei's mouth, and his right cheek was bruised. However, the reason for the injuries could not be confirmed. He said Lei’s cause of death could only be determined by an autopsy.

Changping Procuratorate has started investigation into the incident, and Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate will send forensics to assist with the investigation.