Man summoned for threatening reporter

A pig farm employee who threatened a reporter with a knife was summoned by police in Yangshan county, Guangdong province, on Wednesday, for further investigation.

A reporter from Guangdong Radio and Television Broadcasting Station was conducting an on-site interview on Tuesday, after the farm belonging to Guangdong Meijiaobao Livestock was reported by local residents to have illegally discharged pollutants.

Residents in the vicinity claim the farm's discharge of livestock wastewater has caused severe pollution in the surrounding forests and water conservation areas. They also mention that a foul stench is present every evening.

Li Yangkun, head of the enforcement division at the Yangshan branch of the ecological environment bureau, told the station that administrative penalties have been issued multiple times over the past two years. The most recent fine, amounting to 49,000 yuan ($7,000), was imposed on June 6.

When a reporter arrived to conduct an interview on Tuesday, an employee of the farm threatened the journalist's life with a 10-centimeter knife, saying: "If you take any pictures, I'll make sure you die today! Do you want to die?"

The video uploaded by the station has aroused huge attention and an immediate response from the county government.

A joint team consisting of the public security bureau, environmental protection bureau, agriculture and rural affairs bureau, and other relevant departments will investigate the situation.

The investigation revealed that the individual brandishing the knife in the video, identified as Wu, is an employee of Guangdong Meijiaobao Livestock. He was summoned by the Yangshan County Public Security Bureau for further investigation.

This incident serves as a profound lesson, highlighting the lax legal consciousness of certain individuals within the company, leading to adverse social consequences, according to a statement from the county government.

Earlier this month, three police officers in the city of Bijie in Guizhou province, were dismissed and detained for attacking and injuring a journalist from Jimu News who was investigating the deaths of two teachers in the city.