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'Serial kidnapper' killed in hostage drama

By Xie Chuanjiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-04 11:46

A former armed police officer, who held a university employee hostage for more than five hours, was shot and killed during a standoff with police on Wednesday in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province.

During dramatic scenes at Wuhan University, the 39-year-old man, surnamed Zhou, shot a police officer who had disguised himself as a canteen worker and snuck into the room at the office building where the hostage crisis was unfolding.

A sniper prepares to get into position Wednesday at the Wuhan University campus in Hubei province, where a 39-year-old man, armed with a gun, had been holding a university employee hostage since 9 am. The hostage-taker was shot dead after five hours and the hostage was rescued unharmed. [China Daily]

Police immediately returned fire and killed Zhou, who joined the armed police force from 1989-92 but later worked at the university's logistics company in the telephone exchange department until he was recently fired.

Related readings:  Police shoot, kill man who took university staff hostage  Hostage-takers shot dead in separate incidents  Kidnapper arrested after taking woman hostage in Guangzhou  Police shoot dead hostage taker in SW China  3 injured, 1 hostage held in Carrefour outlet in Kunming

The woman, who works on Communist Party affairs, was unharmed. The officer survived and was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to the head.

It was alleged that this was not the first time that Zhou had taken hostages at the university, where his father is believed to be a physics professor.

A netizen named Zhongshi alleged on : "The university terminated the labor contract with Zhou this year and the two sides then underwent a lawsuit. A local court ordered the university to fill some insurance fees for Zhou. Maybe the university refused to pay, so he became crazy."

Police said Zhou took the woman hostage with a 64-style pistol in a room on the second floor of an office building about 9 am.

As security guards evacuated other people from the building, local police including riot officers and negotiators arrived at the university.

Police attempted to negotiate with Zhou but found he had no clear demands, Xinhua reported.

Five hours after the crisis began, a police officer disguised himself as a canteen worker pretending to take Zhou a meal and was shot. Meanwhile, it was alleged that Zhou was still on probation for kidnapping offences. He had been sentenced to two-and-a-half years jail with a three-year reprieve.

A male staff member surnamed Wang in the university president's office refused to elaborate when contacted by China Daily on Wednesday.

"Zhou was a gangster-like person at the university. He has not had a formal job for years. He was fired by the university for many reasons including drug abuse," a netizen from Yichang, another city of Hubei, wrote on Sina.com.