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Out of control

2014-04-15 09:08 Global Times Web Editor: Wang Fan
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Rice noodle restaurant owner Wu Ying's life ended tragically after she told a drunk police officer that her store did not serve milk tea on the night of October 28, 2013.

Hu Ping, 34, a police officer in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, also took the life of Wu's unborn baby after shooting the pregnant woman twice. Cai Shiyong, Wu's husband, also took a bullet and sustained minor injuries to his right shoulder.

Before the killings, Hu, who had gotten drunk at a dinner, fired a shot on the street while shouting, shot the ceiling of Wu's restaurant, and pointed the gun at the heads of other diners.

The Guangxi High People's Court on Wednesday upheld the verdict handed down to Hu, who was sentenced to death for intentional homicide at his first trial in February. Hu was also ordered to pay 73,324 yuan ($12,091) in compensation to the victim's family at the first trial.

Hu's berserk behavior has aroused reflections on police use of guns in China, as experts warned of loopholes in the law and the necessity of intensifying the training of police.

Court ruling

In his defense during the appeal hearing held on April 1, Hu denied that he had shot three times as prosecutors alleged. He also argued the firearm residue on Cai's sleeve proved he had tried to grab the gun, which caused it to go off accidentally.

During Wednesday's public trial, the court refused to accept his arguments as several witnesses testified that Cai had not attempted to grab the gun until after his wife was shot.

Prosecutors also claimed the evidence Hu provided was irrelevant.

The court also rejected Hu's lawyer's request for a new evaluation of Hu's mental state when the shooting occurred. An examination report presented by the No. 5 People's Hospital of Nanning showed that Hu was drunk but in control.

Family reactions

The family of both the defendant and the victim were all in tears upon hearing the final verdict.

Cai's family labeled the court judgment "fair and justified," but they declined to give further comment.

The court stated that "the conviction was accurate and the penalty proper."

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