Family of dead suspect questions police account

Relatives of a man who died in police custody on Saturday posted an item on social media on Tuesday questioning the official account after the man was detained by police on suspicion of soliciting prostitutes.

The family of Lei Yang, 29, claims he left home in northern Beijing at around 9 pm to meet relatives at Beijing Capital International Airport who were scheduled to arrive at 11:30 pm. He was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital by the police sometime after 10 pm.

In a statement posted on Monday night, the police in Beijing's Changping district said they received a tip around 8 pm on Saturday alleging prostitution activity at a foot massage business in a residential compound on Huoying Street. They subsequently detained six people, including Lei, the statement said.