A police officer fatally shot a man who came at him wielding a knife in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, on Tuesday. The bullet hit the left side of the suspect’s chest, and after being arrested on the spot, he was confirmed dead at a hospital.
Police received an emergency call at around 7 p.m. that day saying a man covered with blood was acting violently while holding a knife near the entrance of a supermarket, according to the Osaka Prefectural Police.
Five police officers rushed to the scene and found the man on a nearby street. A 32-year-old sergeant told him to drop the knife, but the man ignored the order.
The officer fired a warning shot into the air, but the man continued to approach him, prompting the officer to shoot him. None of the officers were injured.
It is rare for police officers in Japan to shoot a suspect, as they are subject to strict restrictions regarding the use of handguns.
Under Japanese law, officers may only draw and fire their weapons under certain conditions, such as when there is an imminent threat to life or serious bodily harm, or in self-defense or defense of others when no other less-lethal option is viable.
The prefectural police said it was extremely regretful that the suspect died, and that they judged the case satisfied the conditions for opening fire, although they are still investigating the details.
The suspect’s identity and the course of events are also under investigation.
Another police shooting occurred on July 22 in Koshi, Kumamoto Prefecture. A 21-year-old man was shot while being arrested for allegedly robbing a convenience store by threatening two employees with a knife.
A police officer fired four shots, including a warning shot, and two bullets hit the suspect’s right shoulder and right thigh, according to media reports.
The Kumamoto Prefectural Police said Tuesday the shootings were appropriate, as the suspect failed to follow the officer’s order and refused to stop pointing the knife at the officer even after the warning shot was fired, the reports said.
The police on Tuesday rearrested the man, who had been released for medical treatment, according to the reports.
Translated by The Japan Times
