Officials mangle a melon monger

By Chen Qian  |   2008-7-5  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

TWO law enforcement officials in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, broke a farmer's leg when they tried to prevent him selling watermelons on Thursday, a news report said yesterday.

The 56-year-old farmer, Zhang Shili, from Kaifeng County, had his right leg broken after he was run over by the officials' car. Angry bystanders surrounded the officials and stopped them from leaving until the police arrived, the China News Service said.

The two officials were from the Huayuan Road neighborhood committee,

That day, Zhang and his son got up early and drove a tractor and cart with more than 300 watermelons to Zhengzhou at 4am. The tractor broke down at a crossroad in front of a residential complex.

Father and son tried but could not repair the tractor, nor could they sell any watermelons. At 9am a woman who lived nearby took pity on the pair and said she wanted to buy two watermelons.

But just as Zhang picked out two good-looking watermelons, the two officials pulled up in their car. They did not wear uniforms and said nothing but grabbed his weighing scales and got back in their car.

Zhang went to explain and tried to speak to the men through the car window, but the driver suddenly accelerated and Zhang was caught by surprise and dragged under the car.

The crowd that had gathered was shocked and called the ambulance and the police - who soon discovered that the driver apparently did not have a license. He fled in the commotion.

The committee said the officials were new, but that Zhang should not have been selling watermelons. However, they would pay Zhang's medical costs and buy all of the watermelons in his field, which apparently could total as much as 4,000 kilograms.