Driver arrested for attempted murder after man clings to hood of his car

If you see someone getting in their car and trying to drive away, and you jump in front of said car...then cling to the side mirror of said car as it is driving...then you are stupid and are asking to be killed.

First, the article does not say the guy "jumped" in front of the vehicle or any similar thing. He stood in front of the vehicle, obviously with intent to deter this Kawakami from moving. When Kawakami started moving his car, the man climbed onto the hood.

Oh, that so justifies Kawakami making maneuvers with the car that could have killed someone. He may not have wanted to kill the guy, but he is indifferent to the possibility, which suffices for conditional intent.

It did not help Kawakami that he owes the other guy money, thus even if he had a weak self-defense claim (which will not reach anywhere close to justifying a move dangerous to life), it would be void because he brought the infringement onto himself.

It's basic criminal law.

Yes why do we assume one thing when we can assume something else....

Why do we assume he was a thug or suicidal?

For all we know he might have been the younger guy's mentor and hit hard times himself, too.

It was only 10pm. It is too bad there wasn't someone nearby who pulled out their phone and videoed this and uploaded it already.

Guy who jumped on the car should also be charged.

One too many movies for both parties

Cars and pedestrians are always a bad mix when making contact with each other. Avoid at all costs, especially if you’re the one behind the wheel.

If someone jumps on your hood, take immediate photo with phone - before or after jamming on brakes. Whatever is most practical.

And then call police and charge hood jumper with assault and damage to your property.

Under no circumstance use your vehicle in a manner which could kill anyone external to the vehicle. You can’t win.

As Kawakami started the car and moved forward, the man grabbed the driver’s side mirror and got onto the hood. Kawakami swerved back and forth for about 500 meters before the man fell off. Police said he suffered a fractured collarbone.

Sounds like both men giving a fierce look to each other. Young man had to get away in every way possible or die trying while rather old man had to put the screws on the young man to pay back a debt at any cost. Hope the 58-year-old man will get back on his feet ASAP.

@wowyz, Masahide Kawakami, who runs a bar in Atsugi.... yeah a lot of bars there are frequented by US sailors in that area, and subsequently a lot of bar fights are known to have taken place at those yak run bars.

"the incident occurred at around 10:05 p.m. on Wednesday in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture"

A high stress area:

That area is close to Naval Air Facility Atsugi, where the locals complain of Fighter jets , Jammers , helicopters, transport planes, surveillance and recon platforms noise.

Why do we assume he was a thug or suicidal?

He jumped onto a moving car. Need anything else be said?

Dear dear, another of these idiotic incidents....

Happy New Year to all of you by the way!

Man, this reads like so many scenes from crime/cop TV shows and flicks that it ain't funny.

Totally surreal. A page out of a script for sure.

"he drove his car for about 500 meters, trying to shake off a 58-year-old man who was clinging to the hood.

wow, Flim flam, Shim sham, Jim jam, he was really trying to shake it off that day.

I Japan regardless of the pedestrian the drive of an automobile will always be at fault I Japan justice system so be careful driving

It’s not like he was aiming his car at the guy, he was just trying to get away. I’ve seen these charges several times in Japan, wonder if they ever stick.

Interested to know the kind of car. A grown man to use a side mirror to haul himself into a car bonnet?

I'm owed ¥1m by three people, but I would rather throw the money away than suffer a broken collar bone in a Covid19 era hospital.

Any word on the guy that came to collect the money? A chinpira or yak who charged exorbitant interest? Threatened violence against this driver? An honest to good guy coming to collect a late loan due to him?

@finally rich "Self defense for example is something non existent, you will have the hardest time of your life trying to explain yourself" FACT: If you are active duty, under sofa status, or diplomatic status self defense will be unbiased investigated.

He owed the guy a million yen. No doubt he’s some kind of loan shark and showed up to give this kid the shakedown. I’m not surprised he panicked.

Why do we assume he was a thug or suicidal?

For all we know he might have been the younger guy's mentor and hit hard times himself, too.

So one guy tried to commit suicide and the other gets arrested.

Everytime.. the same headline.

Feel sorry for these people. This place is crazy.

Some thug furiously clings to your car while yelling I will kill you! and the next moment you are in a cold, tiny room with 1, 2 cops aggressively blaming you for trying to kill someone.

The laws might be the same, but the way they are applied in this country is completely the opposite of most normal places. Self defense for example is something non existent, you will have the hardest time of your life trying to explain yourself why you even pushed some thug to protect yourself.

Shouldn't the charge be against the man who deliberately jumped in front of traffic trying to get himself run over?? So if someone tied to kill themselves by jumping in front of my car, then I would get charged for attempted murder?? Most ridiculous thing I've heard. Dumb cops/laws and lawyers for not defending and setting precedence.. or does precedence not even exist in J law?!