Social media users were outraged after police claimed there was not enough evidence to arrest a man who poured engine oil on the stairs of local gym, causing three people to fall down and get injured, despite the malicious act being caught on video.
The unnamed man reportedly carried out the spiteful scheme to get revenge on the owner of the gym below his apartment in Yongzhou, in southern China’s Hunan Province.
The owner, Mr Zhang, said the man decided to make matters into his own hands after police previously dismissed his disturbance complaints about the fitness centre.
CCTV footage captured his evil retaliation as he poured engine oil over the steps of the gym’s entrance from top to bottom before fleeing at around 8:00pm on 12th September.
Moments later, a young man slips and falls down the stairs, dropping his phone on the floor.
Seemingly baffled, he gets up and looks at the spilled liquid in confusion before he retrieves his phone and walks away.
Seconds later, a middle-aged man slips on the oil and tumbles down to the floor.
The painful fall apparently causes him to briefly lose consciousness as he lies face-down at the bottom of the staircase for about four minutes without moving.
After a while, he comes to and crawls towards the wall, then sits against it, apparently trying to compose himself.
According to local media, a female gym-goer also got injured shortly afterwards as she lost her footing in a similar manner.
The man was later reported to the local police and he was taken to the station to give a statement.
However, they decided against filing a case and let him free, claiming there was insufficient evidence to charge him.
They allegedly even suggested that Mr Zhang should bear some responsibility for the incident.
This, in turn, sparked online outrage after the footage was shared on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, with many users saying that the police failed to enforce the law fairly and were absolving the perpetrator.
One user titled ‘Alley’ commented: “Not enough evidence? ? The video is for reference only! ! ? ?”
Another user titled ‘Delicate story’ wrote: “What more evidence is needed? For him to admit it himself?”
And user ‘wind and distance’ said: “If you ask me, someone should pour oil at the door of the police station instead.”
