Authorities in northern Vietnam have arrested a police sublieutenant suspected of beating a man to death, a police official and state media reported on Friday.
Riots erupted in Bac Giang province in July when a 21-year-old was allegedly beaten to death by police after being stopped for riding his motorbike without a helmet.
Policeman Nguyen The Nghiep, 25, was arrested Wednesday for "causing death to people in the performance of official duties," said Tong Duc Toan, head of the Investigative Security Department of Bac Giang Provincial Police Agency.
If found guilty, the accused stands to face between two and seven years in prison.
On July 23, Nguyen Van Khuong, was riding his motorbike with his girlfriend when he was stopped by police in Tan Yen District for not wearing a helmet, the state-run newspaper Thanh Nien reported.
Police confiscated the motorbike, took him to the station and allegedly beat him to death before handing his body to his family the next day.
The family took the coffin to the province's People's Committee headquarters in Bac Giang city, demanding that those responsible be brought to justice.
Thousands of demonstrators joined their cause, as police used tear gas to disperse the biggest protests ever seen in the province.
The demonstrators called off the protests when the leaders of Bac Giang Provincial People Committee agreed to investigate the case thoroughly. - Sapa-dpa