Society

Huge manhunt nails suspected cop killer

By Zheng Caixiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-09 07:52

Bereaved family members on Thursday at the funeral home where two policemen, Zhou Xilai and Huang Weijiang, were brought after they were shot dead during a traffi c check on Monday in Jieyang, Guangdong province. [China Daily]

GUANGZHOU - A suspect who allegedly shot dead two traffic policemen in Guangdong province's Jieyang city on Monday was captured in Fujian's Xiamen on Thursday, after more than 1,000 police officers joined the manhunt.

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The suspect, 29-year-old Hu Yihua, of Zhejiang province's Jinhua city, was detained in a shopping center in Xiamen's Siming district at about 12:30 pm, Fujian's provincial public security department said.

Police at the scene also confiscated a stolen Lexus, a pistol loaded with two bullets and the ID of one of the murdered officers, Huang Weijiang.

Hu had been on the run since he allegedly fatally shot the two officers at 11:50 pm on Monday.

According to Guangdong police, Hu is allegedly responsible for several other murders and was already on the run when he was stopped by the police.

Jieyang police said the incident took place at a service center of the Huilai section of the Shenzhen-Shantou expressway. Police officers Zhou Xilai, 44, and Huang Weijiang, 34, were inspecting a sedan without a license plate. The driver suddenly pulled a pistol and fired six rounds at the officers, who both fell to the ground bleeding profusely.

Four of the bullets hit Zhou, head of a local traffic police detachment. One of the shots was to his head. The other two struck Huang, Jieyang police said.

Both officers died after they were rushed to a nearby hospital.

The suspect is reported to have driven away after opening fire.

The Jieyang police bureau immediately formed a task force to investigate and organized more than 1,000 officers to help head off the suspect on the expressway.

On Thursday morning, Guangdong police requested assistance from their Fujian counterparts after learning Hu had fled to the province. Fujian law enforcement immediately began a manhunt.

Jieyang police bureau director Zhou Xinquan told local media that Zhou Xilai and Huang Weijiang died on duty and should be honored for their bravery. The city government has posthumously awarded both as "the faithful guards of Jieyang" and "model Communists of Jieyang", Zhou Xinquan said.

Locals paid their last respects at a funeral for the officers on Thursday morning at Jieyang's Dongyunshan funeral parlor.

Director of Jieyang's traffic police brigade Fang Ming was quoted by local media as saying both were good officers who always worked hard and had won many honors before their deaths.

Zhou is survived by his wife, his 19-year-old son and his daughter. Huang is survived by his wife and 7-year-old daughter.