Provincial legislator arrested for homicide in NE China

The local procuratorate in Fushun, a city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Friday approved the arrest of a provincial legislator who deliberately killed a pedestrian Monday with his jeep after an argument with the victim.

Hou Jianjun, an incumbent deputy to the Liaoning Provincial People's Congress, the province's legislature, scraped the 55-year- old passerby, Qiu Ji, with his car. An argument ensued. The driver then chased Qiu with his car, running him over and killing him near a local shopping mall at about 3:00 a.m. Monday. Hou fled.

Qiu died of a skull fracture on site. Hou was confirmed drunk when committing the crime, police said.

The 43-year-old Hou, general manager of Fushun Xingye Transportation Corporation Ltd., gave himself up to the police about 8:00 a.m. Monday and was then kept under custody.

The decision to arrest Hou was made after reporting to the Standing Committee of the Liaoning Provincial People's Congress, a required proceeding for the arrest of a provincial legislator.