Gansu Retiree Dies 9 Months after 10-Hour Ordeal in Police Custody

A 65-year-old man died a painful death less than nine months after an 10-hour ordeal in police custody.

Mr. Tian Duoyao, a retiree in Jinchang City, Gansu Province, was arrested at around 7 p.m. on March 28, 2016 and dumped at the side of the road by police at 5 a.m. the next morning. He was brutally beaten and possibly drugged while in police custody.

The authorities targeted Mr. Tian because he refused to renounce Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline being persecuted by the Chinese communist regime.

Mr. Tian began to experience memory loss and saw his health quickly decline upon his release. Doctors diagnosed him with organ failure, liquefactive necrosis of the brain, and achalasia. His family suspects that the two small cups of water, the only drink or food he was given at the police station, were laced with drugs that damaged his central nervous system.

Mr. Tian remained hospitalized for more than five months and died on December 10.

Mr. Tian was distributing Falun Gong materials in an apartment complex on March 28 when Officer Li from the local Domestic Security Office appeared and yelled, “Freeze!”

Li, who lives in the complex, chased Mr. Tian while calling for his wife to come outside.

Mr. Tian tried to walk away but took a fall. Li rushed towards him and sat on his chest. Mr. Tian immediately felt short of breath and sharp pain.

Li asked his wife to check what materials Mr. Tian had hung on the doorknobs of the apartment units. She said it was Falun Gong materials, and Li immediately called Binhelu Police Station to send officers there.

Mr. Tian struggled to get up when Li got off him. Li refused to listen when Mr. Tian explained why he was passing out materials exposing the persecution.

Li called the police station a second time, urging them to come as soon as possible. He also said to Mr. Tian, “I’ve been waiting for you here for a long time. My job is to deal with you Falun Gong guys. How can I let you go?”

When two police cruisers arrived, Li knocked Mr. Tian down and ordered the other officers to handcuff the elderly man.

When Mr. Tian shouted “Falun Dafa is good,” the police found a rag and stuffed it in his mouth.

As soon as they arrived at the police station, the police body searched Mr. Tian and showered him with punches and kicks.

Mr. Tian refused to reveal who gave him the materials for distribution. Li ordered his officers to restrain Mr. Tian in a chair with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Li also bent Mr. Tian’s head backwards to increase his discomfort. The officers did not remove him from the chair until he lost consciousness from the pain.

Mr. Tian asked for a sip of water after he came to. It took about three hours for the officers to get two small cups of water. They watched him drink both.

They next drove him to a hospital for blood tests. He refused and was beaten in front of the doctors. His front teeth were knocked out, and he again lost consciousness.

The doctors refused to draw his blood when Mr. Tian regained consciousness. One doctor said to the police, “You almost beat him to death. If we draw his blood now, he’ll die even quicker. Who’s going to be responsible?”

The police then drove Mr. Tian to Jinchang City Detention Centre, which refused to take him in, given his grave condition.

The police dumped Mr. Tian by the side of the road not far away from his home. By then, it was about 5 a.m. the next morning.

Mr. Tian managed to walk back home. He began to vomit blood and felt unsteady.

He was diagnosed with organ failure, liquefactive necrosis of the brain, and achalasia. His family spent close to 300,000 yuan for more than five months of hospitalization. Mr. Tian passed away on December 10.