BEIJING—Authorities in southern China said a man stopped for drunk driving and not having a license stabbed to death three police officers after apparently obtaining a knife and returning to the police station.

The statement from Shangli County in Jiangxi province said the suspect, identified only by his surname, Huang, had been detained after the incident on Friday night.

The statement gave no details on why Huang had not been put in custody earlier and how he was able to return to the police station with a knife.

One of the officers who was fatally stabbed was a part-timer.