Residents of the village, in Hunan province, were reportedly angry about the handling of a young woman's death last month.
Officials say the death was caused by pesticide poisoning, but relatives have accused her husband of involvement.
Her relatives beat the husband and took local officials hostage when they attempted to intervene.
In a statement reported by state media, the police said that the trouble began on Thursday after the family displayed the woman's corpse in her mother-in-law's house.
When police attempted to defuse the situation they were attacked and forced to kneel before the deceased woman, the statement adds.
Hundreds of villagers joined the bereaved relatives the next day to protest and attack the local police station.
The police say that hundreds of officers were called in to restore order.
Police in central China have arrested 13 people after hundreds of villagers attacked a police station on Friday.