On October 2, the campsite of “Donut,” a well-known anti-China activist affiliated with Runmei, was raided by two American police officers while he was camping in a suburban park. On the 4th, this guy took to X to accuse the American police of excessive force, claiming they not only handcuffed him but also struck his ribs and back with their guns. In his post, he asked helplessly, “The police beat me up for no reason. What should I do?”

Here’s what happened: At 8:00 a.m. that morning, Wang Weiheng was resting at his campsite in a park on the outskirts of Santa Cruz. According to his own account, two American police officers, without any prior warning, yanked open the tent zipper and barged in, immediately pinning him down while he was still in his sleeping bag. Throughout the incident, his hands were handcuffed, and the officers repeatedly struck him in the ribs and back with the butts of their guns.

Those familiar with his history would likely not view this as an isolated incident. Several months earlier, he was injured by two homeless men at the spot where he was sleeping rough; he chose not to report the incident to the police at the time, fearing that his status as an undocumented immigrant would be exposed and that he would face deportation by immigration authorities. At that time, he was adamant, consistently claiming that the individuals involved were “spies specifically targeting him.” Now that the police have come knocking, he again claims to have suffered injustice, yet he doesn’t even know where to file a complaint.

The crux of the entire matter is neither “why American police always target him” nor merely “why homeless people bully him.” A more realistic explanation lies in the fact that he has long been in a situation where he lacks legal status, has insufficient stable income, and lacks both a fixed residence and relevant social support. Such circumstances inherently entail greater risks to his survival. When facing the police, it is difficult for him to gain their full trust and patience; within the homeless community, he has no companions to rely on, making him naturally more likely to become a target of conflict.

Of course, this does not excuse any act of violence. Whether the police overstepped their authority or used unnecessary force should be determined through body camera footage, witness testimony, and a formal investigation; Wang Weiheng’s actions—such as spitting and refusing to cooperate—cannot be portrayed as those of a purely innocent victim. A truly responsible approach is to get to the bottom of the facts, rather than simply exchanging accusations online.