crime

90-year-old driver arrested for attempted murder after shoplifting suspect clings to his car

29 Comments

Police in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, have arrested a 90-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he drove his car with a shoplifting suspect clinging to the hood. 

According to police reports, the driver, Eizaburo Fukushima, claims to have seen the man shoplifting at a supermarket at around 1:20 p.m. on Saturday, Sankei Shimbun reported. The incident unfolded in the supermarket parking lot after Fukushima followed the man out of the store and accused him of stealing.

As the argument continued, Fukushima got into his car and started to drive off. The 38-year-old shoplifting suspect clung to the hood and the side mirror for about 280 meters as Fukushima repeatedly stopped and started, trying to shake him off. The man sustained minor injuries to his leg.

Police quoted Fukushima as saying, “I got scared because the man was shouting, so I attempted to shake him off by driving my car. I did not attempt to kill him.”

Police said they are questioning the man about the shoplifting accusation.

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29 Comments
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So much wrong on both parties here. The 90 year old should not drive, and he should not play supermarket security guard. And the other guy should not get physical after being wrongly or rightly accused. That the 90 year old got scared and tried to get away is actually understandable.

12 ( +19 / -7 )

Why a I more confused after reading this than before?

14 ( +16 / -2 )

What’s a 90 year old man 1. driving at that age, and 2. trying to stop a shoplifter? Tell the supermarket guards and let them deal with it. They have insurance. If an accident happens outside the supermarket, the victim (legally) can sue (which is absurd in its own right).

Its not attempted murder. The shoplifter is as much to blame as the old man.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

A 90-year-old should consider he no longer may have the necessary reaction skills to operate any motorized vehicle, much less operating one with an aggravated ‘passenger’ on hood obstructing his view. Now, in the interest of public safety, perhaps the government will make that consideration for him?

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Also, will there be a the followup story about the alleged ‘shoplifter’ and if he will, at least, be charged with violating the local ‘public nuisance’ laws for jumping on the hood of vehicle attempting to depart the scene of an altercation?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

"he should not play supermarket security guard. "

many of them geezers wear many instantaneous nosy hats here, just to put their 2 yens in right or wrong. beware!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

What on earth is a 90 year old doing behind the wheel of a car?

-9 ( +5 / -14 )

deserves a medal, not an arrest charge!

8 ( +14 / -6 )

It is fortunate that this ended up this way without anybody getting seriously hurt, the whole thing is product of terribly bad judgment from everybody involved.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

How ridiculous is this? They should be pinning a medal on the old man, not charging him. Even if the old guy is wrong about the shoplifting, he didn't force the guy on to the hood of the car. Things are so bass ackwards sometimes.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Sounds like a pretty stupid shoplifter. If I were the 90 yr. old guy, I'd try to shake the nutso who's hanging on to my car.

The guy that should be getting busted is the thief for two things' committing a crime and dangerously jumping on someone else's property and not letting go.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

What on earth is a 90 year old doing behind the wheel of a car?

Why on earth is a 38 year old man shoplifting then going after a 90 year old man and jumping on his car?

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Tell the supermarket guards and let them deal with it.

He was probably younger and fitter than the supermarket guards.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Why is a 90-yeat old driving?

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

oldman_13Today  10:31 pm JST

Why is a 90-yeat old driving?

To go to the supermarket.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

This time I'm with the 90 years old guy..

6 ( +7 / -1 )

To those questioning why a 90-year-old man is driving, I would say 'why the hell shouldn't he be?' With his experience I would guess he's a better driver than you are.

As for this incident, the police have gone quite mad. The alleged shoplifter is clearly the aggressor here, and the driver was simply trying to protect himself by getting away from a potentially homicidal lunatic. Any normal person would have done exactly the same.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

There’s a few over 90 residents at my folks elderly apartment building. They are sharp enough to drive. How do all you Debbie downers know this guy isn’t the same? Well you don’t.

My god, what’s wrong you folks? Why shouldn’t he confront a criminal? Is it safe to say some folks here have no cojones.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Accusing someone of shoplifting, even withtout evidence, can land the said accused in detention for 23 days. The law is wrong here.

Accusing someone has no repercusions. You cannot charge a person of lying if he accused you even without evidence. The law again is wrong.

Attempted murder on a self-defense act. The law enforcement is wrong.

It boils down to the Japan injustice system being wrong in so many situations.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

FizzBit

There’s a few over 90 residents at my folks elderly apartment building. They are sharp enough to drive.

Are you sure they are sharp enough to react quickly in an emergency? Of course you are not. Biology is what it is.... our senses and reaction diminish as we get older, and a car is a potential deadly weapon. I do not intend to drive one when (if) I reach 90.

That said, this article is not really about the old guys driving skills. It is about bad decisions made both by him and the victim.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Stories like this still surprise me about Japan.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Japan would not have given this man a driver's license if he weren't capable of safely driving, Japan has some of most stringent testing required, and it's every two years.

The prosecuter or whoever charged him needs to be demoted to sweeping streets and emptying wastebaskets.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

What was the old man's job though? Retired school teacher? Fireman? Police? Its important.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Police have arrested a 90-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he drove his car with a shoplifting suspect clinging to the hood. 

> The 38-year-old shoplifting suspect clung to the hood and the side mirror for about 280 meters as Fukushima repeatedly stopped and started, trying to shake him off.

Sounds like the "38 year old that has no name for some reason" wanted to go for the ride.

He learned that JUMPING ON, is a lot easier than JUMPING OFF!!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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