Chinese Man Who Crashed Into US Consulate Reportedly Suffered From Hallucinations, Was Hiding at Home for a Month
A Shanghai police officer was injured Friday when a man rammed his car into a barrier in front of the U.S. Consulate in the Chinese city.
The Associated Press reported police identified the suspect as 35-year-old Liu Daojie, who was placed in custody. They said the man told them he felt he was being chased by assassins and wanted to raise attention.
A statement issued by local authorities noted Liu was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
"During his confession, the driver was mentally confused and rambling," the statement said.
Police also shared what Liu reportedly told them, Agence France-Presse reports.
"Today, I drove from Hangzhou to Shanghai and saw this place guarded by armed police. So I drove up," police said Liu told them. "(His) thoughts were muddled and words incoherent."
Spokesman for the consulate Felix Salazar said the U.S. mission was operating normally on Friday and could not provide further details as the incident remained under investigation.
"All mission personnel at the consulate general have been accounted for," a diplomatic official said.
Foreign embassies and consulates, as well as major Chinese government buildings, are guarded by armed paramilitary police. The news service Caixin reported security has been stepped up in the area of the mission.
Liu's wife, whom investigators tracked down in a Hangzhou guesthouse, meanwhile, revealed her husband had been having hallucinations that someone wanted to kill him. He had been hiding at home for about a month. Liu had seen a doctor who had told him only not to dwell on things, according to his wife. He had apparently driven the couple's daughter to a guesthouse before heading toward the U.S. Consulate.
The injured police officer, who was identified as Sun Tao, was recovering at a local hospital. He suffered injuries to his mouth, face and chest and had been unconscious for a brief period.
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