A policeman was sentenced to life in prison Friday and one of his colleagues got 12 years for a fatal fight last October, which led to the death of a 22-year-old man, in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

A policeman was sentenced to life in prison Friday and one of his colleagues got 12 years for a fatal fight last October, which led to the death of a 22-year-old man, in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. [File Photo]

Qi Xin, a policeman with the Harbin Railway Public Security Bureau was sentenced to life by the Harbin Intermediate People's Court on the charge of intentional injury.

His colleague Liu Linan was sentenced on the same charge. However, Liu turned himself in after the fight and was given leniency.

The court also ordered them to pay 334,534 yuan (49,501 US dollars) in compensation to the family of the victim, Lin Songling.

Yang Sen, a friend of Lin, was sentenced to three years in prison for injuring two policemen involved in the fight. He was ordered to pay 37,245 yuan in compensation to the two policemen.

It was not known at the moment whether the three would appeal or not.

Six police were involved in the deadly fight, but four were found innocent.

Lin and his friends initially had a quarrel with police in front of a nightclub at around 10 p.m. on Oct. 11 in Harbin, blaming policeman Li Xinyu for driving dangerously fast.

The confrontation developed into a fight, leaving Lin dead at the scene and several others from both sides injured.

The policemen, aged between 28 and 31, drove two cars to the bar after a private get-together. They were schoolmates and colleagues.

All six police-turned suspects were captured within 12 hours after the killing.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2009)