Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Shi Hongjie, 44, had been living in the Sunjiachen Village, Town of Wubei, Laixi City, Shandong Province. In 2002, based on reports from a few people who had stopped practicing Falun Dafa, policeman Shen Tao of the Laixi City National Security Section, together with members of the Yuanshang Town Police Station, took Shi Hongjie from his home. The police also searched his house and confiscated many items he owned, including all of his Falun Dafa books and literature. Shi Hongjie was locked in an iron cage for a day and a night by the officers of the Yuanshang Police Station. Then, he was sent to Laixi Prison. Policeman Shen Tao took all the money from Shi's pockets.

At Laixi Prison, Shi Hongjie suffered barbarous tortures. His body was covered with cuts and bruises. On October 16, 2002, he was handcuffed to an iron cage. Early on the morning of October 18, 2002, he died in a hospital.

According to the autopsy report, Shi Hongjie's brain had internal hemorrhaging due to beatings. Four of his ribs, one finger and one toe had been broken. He had cuts and bruises all over his body. The medical reasons listed for his death were internal bleeding from his organs, and the extreme wasting away of his liver and stomach.