At around 6:00 p.m. on May 4, 2008, officers from the Pingdu City 610 Office, the City Police Department and the Qingdao City Police Department stormed into houses that were being rented by Falun Dafa practitioners as truth-clarification materials production sites in Pingdu City, Shandong Province. They illegally arrested Ms. Xu Aifang, Mr. Wang Yunchong and Mr. Zhong Zhenfu. In addition, they confiscated a computer, two printers, a disc burner, a copy machine, two satellite dish systems, two electric vehicles, and some Falun Dafa books. That same night, the police forced each of these practitioners to sit in an iron chair and interrogated them. When the practitioners refused to reveal any information to the police, the officers poured boiling water over their necks and bodies.

At around 11:00 p.m. on May 5, 2008, about twenty officers broke into two other practitioners' homes. They failed to arrest any practitioners, but entered a storage room using a key found on Mr. Zhong Zhenfu, and took three copy machines, a paper cutter, and some personal belongings.

Three days later, the practitioners were taken to the Pingdu City Detention Center, where the guards put shackles on Mr. Zhong Zhenfu and whipped him about the head with metal wires. His life was in danger after this abuse. He was then detained in a metal cage, and the guards ordered the criminal inmates to torture him. They tried to force him to curse the founder of Falun Gong. When Mr. Zhong refused, they whipped him with metal wires. The beating lasted for over an hour. Finally a kind person persuaded them to stop by telling them that this man was from his hometown. By then, Mr. Zhong was injured so badly that he was not able to stand up by himself.

The guards sent Zhong Zhenfu to the hospital. The doctor told them that Mr. Zhong's injuries were very serious. To avoid any responsibility, the detention center officials released him on medical parole. Mr. Zhong had to stay in the hospital for treatment for over a month, and pay over 10,000 yuan in medical expenses. He died on July 20, 2008.