Story highlights

A policeman in China's Henan Province has sparked outrage by throwing a baby to the ground

State media reported the off-duty officer had been drinking with friends before the incident

A 2-year-old was killed in Beijing in July in a similar incident

CNN  — 

A policeman in China has been arrested after he allegedly hurled a baby to the ground, local officials say.

The officer, Guo Zengxi, from the city of Linzhou in China’s central Henan Province, was on his way to a karaoke bar after drinking with friends on the evening of July 20, state news agency Xinhua reported.

When the off-duty officer came across a couple taking their 7-month-old daughter for an after-dinner walk, he reportedly grabbed the baby from her father’s arms and threw her to the ground, injuring it, Xinhua reported.

The infant is now in a stable condition, and may be taken to Beijing for further treatment, an official told CNN.

Guo was initially detained for 15 days as punishment following the incident, but received no additional punishment, according to local media.

However, he was re-arrested Sunday after the incident sparked an outcry on Chinese social media, and an investigative team was sent to probe further, Xinhua reported.

It is the second recent incident of children being assaulted by unknown adults to have made headlines in China. In July, a 2-year-old was killed in Beijing after a man grabbed her from her stroller and threw her to the ground in a confrontation with her mother over a parking spot.

CNN’s Feng Ke contributed to this report.