Officer dies as suspect smashes through blockade in Hebei

By Tom Qian  |   2008-11-11  |     ONLINE EDITION

A POLICEMAN died yesterday after a man hijacked a car at knifepoint and crashed through a blockade in Qian’an City in Hebei Province, Beijing News reported today.

Three other officers were also injured as the man was trying to escape after first driving a different car into a government office and setting it on fire yesterday morning

No one was injured in the fire as firefighters from a nearby chemical fertilizer factory rushed to the scene and extinguished the blaze.

Police later captured a suspect surnamed Zhang. Officers are still investigating, the report said.

The incident happened about 10:30am when Zhang allegedly drove a car up three steps and smashed it into the lobby of a government office in Malanzhuang Town in Qian’an. Zhang then got out of the vehicle and ignited it, according to the report.

A liquefied natural gas container was found inside the car, the newspaper said.

Zhang then allegedly stopped a passing vehicle and hijacked it using a kitchen knife to scare the owner, the report said. He smashed through a police barrier and injured the four officers, one of whom later died in hospital.

A source close to the town government said Zhang had tried to burn the vehicle at his village authority but was stopped, so he changed his target to the town government office, the report said.

Police had been searching for him as he once damaged a railing at a toll station, added the report.