An unemployed Beijing man who killed six policemen and injured another four in a knife attack in Shanghai was sentenced to death at the Shanghai No.2 People's Intermediate Court on Monday.

Yang Jia, 28, stabbed a security guard at the police branch in Zhabei District and started a fire at its gate at about 9:40 AM on July 1.

He then forced his way into the building and attacked nine police officers, according to the prosecution. Six police officers died. Three others and the security guard were injured .

Yang was apprehended at the scene and confessed to the killings, the prosecution said.

The No. 2 division of the Shanghai Municipal People's Procuratorate alleged Yang guilty of premeditated murder on July 17.

The procuratorate said Yang was arrested by Shanghai police for riding an unlicensed bicycle on October 15, 2007, and was interrogated.

Yang later sued the officers for 10,000 yuan (1,464 US dollars) in compensation for psychological damage. The claim was rejected by the local public security authority.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2008)