Man stabs police officer, steals his gun in Osaka Pref; 33-year-old suspect sought

I hope they catch this punk pretty quickly, and I hope the cop makes a full recovery from his stabbing. the left hand side of his body is where his heart is.

This happened a few minutes from my home and a lot of people were freaking out. I've never seen so many police cars in one place.

Japan is not the same country it was 20 years ago and both society and the police have to up their game for the new millennium.

This is not the first time this has happened and its always been in the early morning which leads me to suspect that maybe the officer had been sleeping on the job. Oh, and by the way, Japanese police to not carry pistols; they carry revolvers...

A person should not be able to attack a police officer with a knife, take his gun and get away. If the police are so vulnerable, they have no business carrying guns in the first place. And how is it possible that there is no video of the incident??

Guys, go easy on the officer. We don’t know exactly how the attack took place. The offender may have been asking for help and attacked when the officer wasn’t looking or distracted.

Wish a speedy recovery to the officer.

I sincerely hope that the police officer fully recovers. I also hope for the neighborhood, a quick return to feeling safe and secure. Japan's Koban's are a wonderful community resource and I'm hopeful that this violence does alter the relationship the officers in Kaban's have with thier community.

I'm not a big fan of the kobans in my city, as they are generally empty. I do think most of my interactions with the police have been good (wish they would spend less time worrying about bicycles, but anyway...). If one lunitic with a stolen police gun can shut down the city, the cops should not be carrying guns. Or, the cops with the guns should not be in the kobans. This situation in Osaka is completely unacceptable.

Japan is not the same country it was 20 years ago and both society and the police have to up their game for the new millennium.

I cannot disagree for this point.

It would be difficult for the police to make the transition from operating in a peaceful society to doing so in one where violence against police and the public is becoming worse. We are having the same problem in Australia, and it is becoming clear from recent incidents where the police could have shot violent, drugged up or disturbed individuals and saved lives, that it is not that the police couldn't have reacted appropriately but that they are prevented from doing so by procedural guidelines no longer effective in a more violent society. The officers on the spot might well know what they need to do to resolve the situation, but higher ranking officers, usually not present, instruct them to restrain their fire. Lives are lost unnecessarily if police are not allowed to use their firearms in defence of themselves or others. Both countries need to review and toughen their procedural guidelines.

Watching on the news now. They are canceling school, closing many shops and some events. I don’t think the person did this just to attack some random people.

The guy certainly planned it well. First the hoax call, and then he knew where to stab the officer who was wearing a stab-proof vest.

I wonder what he wants the gun for. It has five bullets in it. Random shooting of a group of people? Convenience store robberies? I'm afraid to think.

Not sure it's a good idea to cancel classes at schools tomorrow. If he's not caught, then what about the next day and the day after that?

Recently, we read that police have increased their " terrorism " on innocent people. Some people might have high tolerance and not so for others, could he have been one victim with a short fuse? And decided to turn his protectors into prey?

According to the evening news, “someone” called in a false burglary from a pay phone less than a km away from the koban, that was occupied by 3 cops. 2 were dispatched to deal with the call and the victim was stabbed as he wandered around the perimeter of the koban

smartacusToday  07:23 pm JST

The guy certainly planned it well. First the hoax call, and then he knew where to stab the officer who was wearing a stab-proof vest.

I am not sure what makes this downvoting. What smartacus mentioned are correct. Not only that, this guy seemed to know how to snatch away a gun from the officer

The police spent most of the day surrounding a station 3 stops to the north (Kitasenri), which made me think they had cornered the guy, and that he had escaped by train. But, wouldn't such a careful planner escape on a bike? It turns out he was not at kitasenri at all. Which makes the whole thing pretty hard to understand.

I can see this from my house. Literally happened in my neighborhood.

Not a nice way to wake up on Sunday, with sirens going off and ten choppers up over you.

My niece's dance recital in Suita was cancelled because of this. So, it hasn't been all bad news. ;-)

But, seriously, this guy planned this thing out pretty well. First, the bogus 110 call. Then, knowing where to stab the officer. The theft of the gun was the obvious goal. It really makes one wonder what he has planned for it.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the upcoming G20 summit. That seems like a likely target.

Local news is reporting a Tokyo man saying the photo of the suspect looks like his son. Why come to an tiny koban in suita? To get a gun for a bigger crime?

I was also thinking g20

Hi-Res Cameras equipped with Facial-Recognition Tech would seriously prevent or quickly resolve these types of issues.

Side note: Interesting that in Japan, we do not have to worry about gun crime. But one criminal gets access to one gun -- and the city shuts down.

Apparently, the reason the police were in kitasenri station is that the suspect bought clothes there. Seems weird that they would send so many cops after the fact.

This is 2019 in the rest of the world. The Japan where respect for authority was paramount no longer exists. Remembering times gone by does little in the face of modern reality. Good people have guns, and bad people have guns. For Police in Japan, and all folks who are comfortable living in another age, it is time to wake up.

The policeman was found in Senriyama at 5:40. Then, around 9:30 the suspect entered the Aeon at Kitasenri, 3 stations away, and bought new clothes. The cashier noticed he had blood on his clothes. This suggests the guy was just walking around in the area for nearly 4 hours.

HEAPS of cops even in smaller Osaka towns today. I didn't see a moment without cherries somewhere in the distance. It's good, I guess, but if the G-20 weren't about to happen would they care quite as much? It's even mentioned in the article. The other thing.... There seems to be an excess concern towards safety in some elements, but not others. For example, tomorrow they will close schools if he is not found, and they are talking about not allowing people to gather in parks, but is the guy going to go to school? This guy, I guarantee, is probably already running for the hills, which means he is carrying a gun on mass transport of just regular streets. Have they asked JR to shut down the trains? No, because that would disrupt business. It's safety of convenience, not practicality.

Anyway, this guy won't fire a shot unless it's suicide. I think he'll turn himself in by tomorrow.

"Classes at schools in the area will be canceled Monday if the man has not been caught by 9 a.m"

Schools in america would be closed year-round all the time of they followed this policy. Everybody and their mum is packing...

As if we didn't know already, things are getting worse and more dangerous there everyday.

Police equipment such as a gun, perhaps should have anti-theft electronic tracking device?

Hope the cop recovers OK.

Was at Q's Mall in Minoo this afternoon and saw a few cops there as well. Must've been the reason.

I'm a bit confused. I've read a number so stories regarding the police in Japan who have had there guns stolen. What's with that? Poor training?

By the way his bike is knocked down in the photos, I'd guess the officer was attacked while he was on the bike, about to follow his fellow officers to the bogus 119 call. It's easy to say he was poorly trained, but at 5am in Senriyama, you are really not expecting to be the target of a knife attack. I mean this is a one street business district full of students. Not a tough place.

There are more of these crimes occurring in Japan and it seems Kobans are seen as soft targets. Understandable, given that the Koban cops seem to spend most of their time giving local directions and policing bicycle thefts. Japanese society is less safe than it used to be and these cops are needing to deal with more serious and violent criminals and urgently need improved training accordingly.

“I mean this is a one street business district full of students”

Umm, no! The one street business district full of students is in fact Kandaimae, approximately one kilometer away from Senriyama where this incident occurred.

Is this another loose screw hikky ?

Shocking.

If criminals want guns....

They'll get em !

Policeman survived??

A 33-year-old suspect has been arrested...

Oh, and by the way, Japanese police to not carry pistols; they carry revolvers...

You're slipping, Vern:

pistol

/ˈpɪst(ə)l/

noun

1. 

a small firearm designed to be held in one hand.

*synonyms:***revolver**