A police officer was detained on Wednesday for fatally shooting a pregnant restaurant owner because she did not serve milk tea in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

The police officer, 33, surnamed Hu, came to the victim's restaurant on Monday evening while intoxicated. Hu asked the owner if they had milk tea, and when told that they didn't, he shot her and her husband. The woman and her fetus died after being sent to hospital. Her husband was also injured, local police said.

The case ignited discussions online with fierce condemnation from Net users, and many suggested that police officers should not be permitted to carry a gun while not on duty.

The powers of police have been expanding in China in recent years, and like many other countries, China faces problems related to restricting police power, said a commentary by news portal caixin.com.

According to the Law on the Control of Guns, police can only fire a gun when violent crimes occur, and warnings have failed. The Ministry of Public Security also states that policemen should not drink alcohol while armed.

This is not the first time that a drunk policeman has fatally shot someone in this region. In 2011, a policeman, Tan Ningjiang, who got drunk in the city of Laibin, began spraying bullets around. His friend, who had dinner with him, died in a local hospital and a passerby was injured, reports said.

Global Times