Chinese lady stabs enforcement officer in the neck with fruit on a skewer
Another city security officer has found himself in an unfortunate clash with a street vendor in China.
In a shocking incident captured on social media, an officer in China was stabbed in the neck with a bamboo skewer by an illegal street vendor selling candied fruit on a stick.
The vendor, who was selling the traditional tanghulu hawthorn candy, apparently attacked the officer, surnamed Ran, when he tried to stop her from putting up her stall.
The 45-year-old lady was reportedly arrested, and the injured officer's colleagues were seen taking him to the hospital.
Local reports say Ran was admitted in stable condition.
While initial reports said that the street vendor was an elderly lady, the police later said she was 45.
Some Weibo netizens expressed sympathy for the street vendor, based on the earlier reports of her age.
TengTeng879 says: "I hate it when these tasteless old people take their age as an excuse. The officer didn't really do anything wrong anyway."
ShuoHanZhong says: "We lack context and empathy for both of them; work is hard. The officer just want order on the streets, while the old lady needs to earn a living."
ZhouXueSong says: "All these years, there have been many disputes between officers and street vendors and both parties' relations have been deteriorating. Can we ask the City Urban Administrative Bureau, have they thought about this, and sought a way for both parties to be together harmoniously?"
China's "urban management officers", or chengguan, are tasked with enforcing local bylaws on the streets. Their role as "low-level" policemen have led them to become reviled by some citizens, however.
They've also often ended up in weird situations, while trying to maintain order on the streets, such as in a kissing confrontation with an illegal food stall owner, staring down a toddler, or even arresting a Ronald McDonald statue for hindering traffic.
UPDATED: Jan. 17, 2017, 3:27 p.m. SGT A previous version of this story described the attacker as an elderly lady. Later reports have clarified that she is middle-aged, and the story has been updated to reflect this.
I am an intern with Mashable Asia, focusing on viral news, lifestyle news and feature news in the region.
