A 68-year-old man was arrested on Thursday night after he entered a koban (police box) in Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward, threatened the 59-year-old officer on duty with a knife and tried to steal his gun.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. Fuji TV reported that the suspect, Toshio Aizawa, who is unemployed, came into the koban, brandishing a knife. He threatened the officer and demanded he hand over his gun. However, the officer used his baton to hit Aizawa’s arm, causing him to drop the knife, and then subdued him.
Police said Aizawa has been charged with attempted murder and attempted robbery. He was quoted as saying he want to make a fool of the police by killing an officer and stealing his gun and ID.
Normally, two police officers are on duty in the koban but one was out on an investigation at the time of the incident.
© Japan Today
13 Comments
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Kazumichi
Shoot him.
Police officers shouldn't be punished for that.
Cricky
Get a 3D printer
jcapan
Kazumichi thinks like American cops. In that situation they shoot first and contemplate alternatives the next day. A cop with a stick or baton in Japan, good luck with that mate.
gogogo
PPretty good thinking on the cop's part. In other countries he would be dead.
nandakandamanda
The cops are probably trained in baton use. Glad it all went well.
WA4TKG
It's likely he was there in hopes of suicide by cop.
njca4
1year from retirement and probably hasn't fired his gun his whole career - good on him for keeping his cool and handling it the way he did.
englisc aspyrgend
Well done that man, without knowing all the facts it strikes me there may be mental issues involved with this perpetrator.
pudus
first of all J'cops dont kill jns in brethren most cases, only the jn courts can do this , typically resulting in pushback. Next some of these geezers are nuts. Where I used to live in Japan, I had a nutcrack come outside his live in garage every time I came outside. I assumed he was either xenophobic or anti- non jn. This nutcracked looked like he had one foot in the grave, and wanted to show his demented sentiments. He would also post rt wing posters on his garage door. Like Disillusioned always said 1 out of 3 is nutz
krustytheclown
Thank Heavens no one was seriously hurt.
wildwest
Why do some Japanese English news reports use the word "koban" and not station or plolice station?
Speed
Because a koban is so small that it doesn't fit the usual description of a police station. Often it's just a room with a table with one officer working it. But "police box" does fit the description though.
Monozuki
Aha. Indeed characteristics of how Japanese police officers deal with assailants. Great job!