Warning: this article includes graphic images some readers may find disturbing.

A police officer in southern China’s Hunan province was hacked to death as he tried to stop a suspected mental patient from attacking customers in a shopping mall, according to local media.

police hacked to death in china
Officer hacked in a shopping mall. Photo: Hunan Daily.

Two officers in Xiangtan city were injured trying to stop the knife-wielding attacker on Monday morning, Hunan Daily reported.

One was stabbed in the heart and pronounced dead at hospital, while the other remains under care, the newspaper said in a report published on its web portal.

The report said that the attacker was suspected to be mentally ill.

Vivienne Zeng is a journalist from China with three years' experience covering Hong Kong and mainland affairs. She has an MA in journalism from the University of Hong Kong. Her work has been featured on outlets such as Al Jazeera+ and MSNBC.