A public official in Changsha has sparked controversy after occupying another person's private parking space for eight days, providing a fake phone number, falsely claiming to be away on business, and refusing to apologize.

On July 9, the Changsha Municipal Sports Bureau issued an official statement regarding the incident. The statement acknowledged the public's online reports concerning a dispute caused by one of its staff members occupying a private parking space. The bureau stated it attaches great importance to the matter and is conducting a comprehensive investigation in coordination with public security authorities and local neighborhood offices. It further committed to handling the case according to the law based on the investigation findings and to making the results public in a timely manner.

Earlier reports detailed the incident, which occurred in the Defeng residential community. On July 7, reporters visiting the community's underground parking garage found the red car in question blocked in by two U-shaped barriers and several posts. The vehicle was parked over the line into an adjacent spot, forcing the neighboring car to park extremely close, leaving a very narrow gap between them. Community property management staff indicated that the police were already involved, but the current status of the case was unclear.

The owner of the parking space, Mr. Min, shared the full account of the incident on social media, where it gained significant attention. According to Mr. Min, he returned home in the early hours of July 1 to find his designated spot occupied by the red car. He immediately contacted property management to have the owner move the vehicle. The phone number left by the car owner was incorrect, but after some effort, they managed to make contact. The car owner claimed they needed to go on a four-day business trip.

However, on the evening of July 1, Mr. Min observed the car owner using their key to retrieve items from the vehicle, revealing the business trip claim was a false excuse for not wanting to come downstairs to move the car. Mr. Min then demanded an apology and for the car to be moved. Property management staff mediated on-site, urging the individual who occupied the spot to apologize to Mr. Min. The car owner persistently refused to admit any wrongdoing and instead called the police twice, complaining that their vehicle was blocked and could not leave.