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Gunma prefectural police said Thursday that a police chief has been removed from his post after news that he appeared at the scene of a neighborhood fire drunk and abused local residents.
According to police, Kazuo Hayashi, 58, who is chief of Azuma police station, reportedly turned up at the scene of a fire while drunk last Saturday night, Fuji TV reported. Witnesses said Hayashi then proceeded to shout a barrage of abuse at local residents and slapped a subordinate who was performing crowd control duties.
Hayashi was reported by residents for his behavior. He has denied driving drunk to the scene of the blaze, police said.
A prefectural police spokesman said that Hayashi, who was appointed station chief in March, has been transferred to the personnel department following the incident. He was quoted as saying that Hayashi would be disciplined for his actions.
© Japan Today
18 Comments
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nath
Anyone really surprised....?
I guess I am surprised that he didn't pull out a gun and fire warning shots into the air or attempt to grope some nearby high school students.
rickyvee
well, at least he didn't try to put out the fire by...
bogva
So is he now subordinate of the subordinate he slapped?
May be residents were too close and were not cooperating so he was harsher on them.
Tizalleyman
All Gunma police chiefs should be placed on curfew!
lucabrasi
...Hayashi...has been transferred to the personnel department following the incident.
Doesn't "personnel" imply "working with people"?
Not the best place for a chap like this.
Yubaru
Not the best place for a chap like this.
No necessarily, it could also very well mean that he has become a highly over paid paper pusher!
Dude should at least be fined 500,000, if that's the going rate for smoking out of line.
Resurfaced
What a douche bag. He should be fired like other folks who get fired for driving under the influence. Why is he getting special treatment.
nath
A cop responding to an emergency - drunk? Did he use a Daiko to get there? Really, this is bad!!
Elbuda Mexicano
Gunma?? Not Osaka?? Or maybe this fool is from Osaka?? Anyway arrest this idiot! Throw away the key!! Make him pay for is stupidity!! Poor people of Gunma do not have to put up with this kind of BS!!
cl400
Transferred to the personal department after the incident... HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAA....
Lowly
Is this story incomplete? Was he off-duty?
Then I could understand the drinking. However, the abuse of residents and unprofessional behaviour is unforgiveable even if he was called from his private time.
Yubaru
Yeah he was off duty and drunk as a skunk with wobbly legs and everything, according to this evenings TV news.
fannybatter
if he was truly drunk then he at least would have tried to hose it down with his own, maybe even try to write his name with it. yelling and slapping? pffft
Robert Dykes
Was he on duty? that is kinda an important detail. I know his actions were wrong either way. The way the story reads it could have been in HIS neigborhood. Maybe he was at a party drinking. For me that would make the difference between a public apology for being rude and drunk and him getting fired and serving some time in jail for abuse of power and position.
Fadamor
He was off duty. The article reports that he "appeared at the scene of a neighborhood fire" implying that it was in his neighborhood. He still had no business interacting with anyone there if he had been drinking, especially the people there in an official capacity. Why would he be transferred to the Personnel Department? Probably because they are the ones who would be issuing the "pink slip" if it's determined that he should be canned.
Patrick Dodge
Apparently he was just trying to sing and show people his moves to his new song "Gunma style". Honestly though at least when inept cops are corrupt you can bribe them to do the right thing but inept and straight is just a tragedy...
komuso killa
Not surprised. I'd like to be surprised and see him get punished to the fullest extent though.
warnerbro
"Hayashi, who was appointed station chief in March, has been transferred to the personnel department following the incident."
He should be transferred to gaol for assault and disorderly conduct.