Three suspects were sentenced on April 27 on charges of intentional injury causing the death of a policeman in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province.

The Dalian Intermediate People's Court sentenced Han Fangyi to death with a two-year reprieve, while the other two defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment and 18 years imprisonment. They were ordered to pay 597,064 yuan ($94,900) to victim Shi Yingcai's family.

In China, death sentences with reprieves are usually commuted to life in prison.

On May 1, 2011, Han Fangyi had a conflict with an assistant traffic policeman while driving a car. He then called his father, who asked a friend to beat the assistant. Shi Yingcai was directing traffic nearby. He came to protect the assistant and was beaten by the three. Shi died due to an acute attack of coronary heart disease caused by external force.

The case aroused widespread concern across the country because Han Fanyi has an uncle working as deputy director of a district public security bureau in Dalian.