Mr. Tian Tingfu, 66, was a retired official and also a Falun Gong practitioner from Yangguang Residential Area of Shenhe District in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. In 1996, half of his body was paralyzed as a result of a stroke and he had difficulty walking. In 1997 he started Falun Gong practice, which brought him many benefits. He became very healthy and his face was rosy. People surrounding him all witnessed it. After the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, Tian Tingfu went to Beijing to appeal for and validate Dafa multiple times. He often practiced the exercises along the riverside and clarified the truth to others.

In November 2000, Zhao Hongtao and others from Xiaonan street office and Shenhe District police division went to his house to arrest him, but Tian Tingfu was not at home at the time. The police proceeded to illegally ransack his house, confiscating Dafa materials, flyers, copy paper, Dafa books, and exercises tapes, etc. They also threatened his family, and said to them, "If Tian Tingfu comes back, ask him to go to the division bureau."

After the police left, his family went to Dashuaifu Square and found Tian Tingfu. He was clarifying the truth to others. His wife told him the situation and arranged for him to stay in a relative's house. Since then, the division bureau, security office, and street office have often harassed his family and used despicable means such as deceiving and secretly following them. However, because of Tian Tingfu's righteous thoughts and deeds, he wisely avoided arrest multiple times.

According to people from the public security division bureau, Tian Tingfu was to be sentenced to two years in prison once he was arrested. Under the long-term threats and tremendous pressure from police, Tian Tingfu suffered a heart attack and passed away on November 14, 2002.