Officer was role model and hero to colleagues, family

"If I can't solve a case, I feel sorry for the victim and more sorry for the police uniform and badge!" Liu Yabin would tell his colleagues during his 16-year career as a police officer.

Liu, an officer with the Yunhe branch of the Cangzhou Public Security Bureau in Hebei province, died from a sudden illness caused by overwork in May 2022 at the age of 42. He was recently awarded the "National First-Class Hero Model of the Public Security System" honor for his heroic actions on duty, and had been a torch bearer at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

He directly investigated and participated in the solving of more than 500 cases and captured more than 800 suspects after becoming a policeman in 2006.

He also faced death multiple times, with over 100 encounters with criminals where he had to engage in hand-to-hand combat, and had been injured over 20 times.

Liu abandoned his teaching career at Cangzhou Vocational and Technical College in Hebei and became a police officer — a job he had wanted since childhood — after passing a series of tests in 2006.

His bravery and dedication were evident in his day-to-day duties. In one instance in 2008, he relentlessly chased a suspect accused of stealing a car for about two hours. As Liu closed in on the suspect's vehicle, the suspect intentionally crashed into Liu's car.

Undeterred, Liu quickly switched to another vehicle and continued the pursuit. He eventually caught the suspect and recovered the stolen car.

In another case in 2013, a bomb was discovered in a shopping center in Cangzhou. Liu and his colleagues quickly evacuated people in the area and transported the bomb to a remote location outside the city, where they safely disarmed it. No one was hurt, and no property was damaged.

Yang Yanzhao, a former colleague of Liu's at the Yunhe sub-bureau, recounted his first encounter with the late officer in 2015.

Liu warmly welcomed him and handed him two books to encourage him to follow senior officers on their operations.

"He was also very patient about sharing his experience in handling cases and helping us young officers solve the puzzles of life. He had a big impact on my policing career," Yang said.

With the emergence of new types of crimes, Liu realized that he must value the use of technology and data analysis. He once led a study of the multiple ways officers could target cybercrimes by using information technology, and he was recognized as an expert in this area by the provincial public security department.

In 2014, Liu led an investigation of a major online investment fraud case, which resulted in the arrest of 75 suspects and the seizure of over 87 million yuan ($12.6 million) in assets.

His hard work and dedication to justice have earned him numerous accolades, including being named a national outstanding worker in November 2020 and a national hero model in the public security system in June 2021.

Liu's commitment to his work was matched only by his love for his family. Despite his busy schedule, he always made time for them, even if it meant waiting until he finished his current case or project. His wife sometimes jokingly accused him of loving his police uniform more than her and their children, but Liu always reassured her that he loved them all equally.

Although Liu has passed away, his children still feel his spirit. Liu's high school daughter said she wants to be a police officer like her father when she grows up, and though his 6-year-old son isn't yet able to fully understand the meaning of his father's death, he's proud that his father was a police officer.