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Police shoot dead two suspects, injure another in Urumqi

By Zhu Zhe (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-13 19:47

URUMQI: Police shot dead two armed rioters and injured another at 2:55 pm Monday, authorities said.

Police spotted and suspected the three people, who were carrying long knives and batons, of injuring a local resident in the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region during a routine patrol at a hospital on Jiefangnan Road.

All four people involved were of the Uygur ethnic group.

Full coverage:  Riot in Urumqi Related readings:  Xinjiang tourism hit hard  Xinjiang riot well planned by foreign wire-pullers  Xinjiang plods toward recovery with vigilance  Senior leader pledges to ensure livelihood in Xinjiang  Riot brings inconvenience, loss to other cities in Xinjiang

The cops asked the suspects to drop their weapons and surrender but they allegedly refused and become violent toward the police.

The suspects reportedly remained a threat to the police even after the cops fired warning shots into the air. The police shot the suspects in accordance with the law.

Two of the suspects were announced dead at the scene while the injured one was hospitalised.

According to the regulation on the use of police equipment and arms, police are allowed to shoot suspects if they are seen committing murder or violent crimes that threaten people's lives.