No charges for officers in man's death

Prosecutors cite improper force, lack of aid to suspect, but say severity of actions was minor

Beijing prosecutors have decided not to press charges against five law enforcement officers suspected of negligence in a case in which a man choked to death after being taken into custody, saying the severity of their actions was minor and all have shown remorse.

The Beijing People's Procuratorate said in an online post on Friday afternoon that prosecutors found the five officers, including two police officers and three auxiliary officers, who were suspected of "improper law enforcement" through the use of improper force. They said they were trying to take Lei Yang, a 29-year-old Beijing resident, into custody on May 7. But Lei died.