Local police in Henan Province confirmed on Monday that a police officer had consumed alcohol prior to allegedly throwing a baby to the ground.

An initial investigation found that on the evening of July 18, Guo Zengxi, 50, took a 7-month-old baby girl from her parents and hurled her to the ground at the entrance of a karaoke club in Linzhou after dining and drinking alcohol with friends at a local restaurant.

There had been no conflict between Guo and the baby's parents.

The child, who suffered multiple head injuries, including a fractured skull and bruising to the brain, was discharged from hospital on August 5. While she is temporarily out of danger, she could suffer aftereffects from the trauma.

"She is very easily startled and clings to me when she hears cars passing by," said Ren Wenli, the mother of the child, adding that the girl is now very afraid of strangers.

Guo's family has covered the child's medical expenses, totaling 40,000 yuan ($6,533).

Guo was also hospitalized after being beaten by locals at the scene.

Police in Anyang, which governs Linzhou, opened an investigation following Net user anger over the incident. Guo, punished with a 15-day confinement by the Linzhou Public Security Bureau, was transferred to a detention center Sunday.

Three local public security officials, including Wei Shuping and Yang Chengdong, the head and political commissar of the Linzhou bureau respectively, as well as another deputy Party secretary, have also been suspended from their positions and put under investigation by a joint team.

An official from the Anyang prosecutor's office confirmed to the Global Times that the team, which consists of officials from the discipline watchdog, the public security bureau and the prosecutor's office, was sent on Sunday, adding that the results of the investigation will be published in a timely manner.

The investigation seeks to find out why Guo only received confinement as internal punishment.

The provincial police department has rated this case as a criminal one and pledged a harsh punishment should the allegations prove true.

Global Times - Agencies