A TRAFFIC police officer in Longgang District has been suspended from duty for using excessive force in making a passenger of a private car kneel on the roadside after the man had photographed the officer committing traffic violations, Chinese-language media reported yesterday.

    The city’s traffic police authority Sunday has apologized to the passenger, identified as Li, for the misconduct of the police officer, Li Yang.

    According to a release on the official microblog of the traffic police bureau, Li Yang, who is an officer with the Buji Unit of Longgang Traffic Police Brigade, was on duty with three police aides Friday afternoon. At the intersection of Baosheng Road and Fulan Road, Li Yang’s vehicle almost hit the private car when it changed lanes. The female driver and the male passenger got out of the vehicle and took a photo of the police car which had illegally changed lanes. The officers pulled the two to the roadside by force after they had ignored their warnings.

    According to Li, the police vehicle had illegally crossed three lanes and almost collided with their car which was stopped for the red light at the intersection.

    Li said he got out of the car to take a photo of the police car, which had crossed the lanes’ solid line, but Li Yang and the police aides grabbed him and threw him to the street. He was forced to kneel down twice on the roadside.

    Shenzhen’s traffic police have adopted measures to encourage the public to capture traffic violations with their phones. Li said he hadn’t intended to report the violation, but wanted to send the photos to his WeChat groups.

    The case is still under investigation. (Han Ximin)