Knife-wielding man shot by police after Osaka apartment quarrel

Matsumoto approached the officer saying "shoot me" and the officer fired another shot, aiming for his leg, according to the police.

This almost sounds like "suicide by cop." Suminoe area has some strange people, too.

Whenever a police officer discharges their weapon there is an investigation.

Since they are meant to serve the public they will be held accountable for any unsafe actions they perform.

Quote obviously.

Whenever a police officer discharges their weapon there is an investigation.

"The officer who fatally shot a knife-wielding man on May 28 here did not first fire a warning shot as outlined in the Police Duties Execution Act, the police have disclosed to the Mainichi Shimbun."

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180529/p2a/00m/0na/015000c

I am quite sure if I was attacked by a knife wielding maniac inside my home and I was armed with a gun, the result for him would be a lot more serious. I would commend the police involved for just doing what was necessary, if this had been in the USA that man would be dead.

Go look at the YouTube channel called ‘Police Activity”, repository for police shooting body camera videos.

Then come back here and tell us that a couples 9mm rounds will stop a crazed criminal immediately.

Does Japan not have tasers for police? Seems like that would be a better fit for the society there. Non-lethal force, used only when necessary.

The first bullet in a police officer's gun is a blank I truly hope this is a joke or troll comment.

Or use the Barney Fife method. Let them have a gun, but only provide 1 bullet and have them keep it in their shirt pocket.

There is no such thing as a “Warning Shot”

Very true, the Escalation of Force and Rules of Engagement prohibit warning shots for US law enforcement and the US Military, but who knows for Japanese Police? Maybe it's allowed for them?

The first bullet in a police officer's gun is a blank 

I truly hope this is a joke or troll comment.

The first bullet in a police officer's gun is a blank for the purpose of being a warning shot.

There is no such thing as a “Warning Shot”.

You don’t discharge a firearm without the necessity of Deadly Force.

Deadly Force is not authorized without a Life / Death Circumstance.

Well done Japan Police..

Shooting someone with .38 or 9mm round rarely stops or drops them immediately. Depending on where they’re hit, they can have a couple minutes of fight with heightened adrenaline.

The usual procedure in most countries is a “double tap” - two rounds, then be immediately ready for two more.

Most handgun shootings are in dim light and less than 3 meters.

Japanese police are very restrained in use of force.

As much as I harp on about J-cops and how keystone they are, it always impresses me how they use their cool even in situations like this and ONLY fire when absolutely necessary -- not all three firing 15 shots each into the perp, but a warning shot and then again only at the person when needed, and usually never killing them. The shot in the air is questionable, since that bullet has to land somewhere, but you know what I mean.

I still chuckle at the the law, though, sometimes, and the fact that the guy was wielding two knives and came at the cops but is only "under suspicion of violating the law". I know they can't say he did it until found guilty in a court of law, but still... even the police can't say it.

I guess no one in Japan heard of bean-bag shotguns to deal with knives suspects - shooting a real gun randomly is crazy

Perhaps Koji Matsumoto, like some of the posters thought that the first bullet was a blank and that is why Matsumoto approached the officer saying "shoot me" and the officer fired another shot, aiming for his leg. Lucky to be a live he should thank the policeman for saving his life. Had this happened in the US all 3 officers would have shot him. End of story!

Shooting in leg can lead to amputation and your in a wheelchair

Shoot him in the legs.

The fact that the officer's actions were justified by the department would suggest that warning shots into the air likely is standard operating procedure. Which it shouldn't be. This is a major urban area, not an Iraqi wedding party. True, it would be pretty unlucky for that bullet to hit someone in the head. But it could happen. And that someone could be a child. Unacceptable.

When a man is charging police with knives, the only acceptable place to put bullets is in his center mass to stop the threat ASAP. Not in the air, not in the leg. Gonna use a gun? Use it all the way. If not, keep it holstered.

Gene Hennigh

Some people here practice gun safety - common sense would tell you a bullet always have to land somewhere and it does not drop like a feather. I had a child in my community die from a falling bullet through their roof to the kid while sleeping.

Warning shot are dangerous and no longer practiced in the West - innocent people are seriously injured or die from wayward bullets - the bullet has to land somewhere

It has become all about the bullet. Got to love internet forums.

A nut with dual blades in each hand screaming nonsense?

shoot to kill

ask questions later.

Who among the commentators here is qualified to second-guess the police?

I have to agree that firing a shot into the air in a residential area is not good protocol. I’m a bit curious about where his ‘right flank’ is too. I’m guessing he hit him in the stomach at least 30cm above his leg. It doesn’t state how far away he was either. As much as they state it was appropriate policing it seems like there were quite a few mistakes made.

I can't tell if some if the comments are sarcasm, but several are just downright hilarious.

What if it hits a bird, or a plane, or a blimp, or a satellite, or the ISS, or the moon?

It's a .38, not an NK missile.

Someone posted a couple of months ago that it is police policy (in some areas anyway) that the first bullet in the gun is a blank.

Yeah, let's tell all the criminals out there that they have a 2nd chance because the first round is a blank...

I've never understood the idea that shooting a warning shot straight up can kill folks on the ground.

A bullet leaves the muzzle of a Japanese police revolver at 850kph - a very lethal velocity. If fired straight up it will slow down due to wind resistance and gravity until it reaches its apogee, about 1km up. It will then fall at 9.8m/s/s until it reaches a much lower terminal velocity (again due to wind resistance) of about 150kph.

e=mc2 so the bullet now has a lot less energy.

Essentially, if you dropped a small 9g piece of metal off Tokyo Tower, it could certainly hurt someone, but probably wouldn't kill them.

Every time these "first shots in the sky" happen, it's discussed on JT and then forgotten until the next time.

The police officer did an excellent job in staying cool and aim to non lethal parts of the criminal,this man should be set as an example for the whole corp.

Police officers do not make procedures.

All the bullets in the police guns are live rounds in case there is only time to fire a single shot.

It’s about time the jcop have the balls to use a their six shooter. They need to upgrade to Glock. Six shooter is so cowboy and out of fashion

The cop should be fired for shooting into the air. How irresponsible. The Wild West has arrived in Osaka. Didn’t a cop there shoot someone a few days or week ago?

Where did the bullet eventually land ?

It didn't, it burnt-up on re-entry to the atmosphere.

In a crowded city, he fired a shot into the air!?! That could have resulted in a fatality somewhere else.

That is not a good thing to do. Where did the bullet eventually land?

I am relieved the police were able to detain and arrest this man but they fired a shot into the air prior to shooting him. It's an action I've only seen bank robbers do in the movies.

People/property can be injured/damaged sometimes fatally, when bullets discharged into the air fall back down to the ground.

Not surprisingly, the Internet Law-Enforcement Experts are out in full force, chiming in on this comment thread.

Hats off to the police for not firing to kill the man with the knife, now hopefully the woman will recover and justice prevail.

Seems like a lot of trigger happy cops out there. Hope I don’t get a cap in my arse.

Is this a common police strategy in Japan!?

Yes you could say is common as is common to shoot a weapon in Japan.

Yes, warning shot to the air (i don't remember the angle but is something around 50 degrees, not sure though), then second warning and third time to the leg is the standard procedure for police officers to shoot a gun (as far as I know, may be the second warining is not needed).

After the event, all shot bullets and casqets has to be recovered and reported (un shot bullets too).

The standard issue guns for the police are .38 calibre, the terminal velocity of a .38 is around 260m/s (or 237 ft/s for USAians), but since is shot to the air in an angle, the falling speed will be less. So the bullet if hits some one may cause injury depending where it hits may the injure could be severe (if you are as unfortunate as getting hit in the eye but it), but usually it will be no more than a small bump with minimal skin rupure (so small bleeding) and maybe slighly burn.

I think the Japanese police is very aware of the danger of shooting a gun, and the effect that will cause. The unlucky hypotetical persona that got hit by the bullet will medically treated and probalby apologies will be due too, but in general, the shooting to the air in an angle is a safe way for a warning.

Unless... of course we are talking military grade rifles and machine guns... but that is not a point of concern for the Japanese police... we don't live in the United States of Ammunition

Someone posted a couple of months ago that it is police policy (in some areas anyway) that the first bullet in the gun is a blank.

I sure hope so. Going around shooting bullets in the air is not a good thing.

Out of control violence!

Someone posted a couple of months ago that it is police policy (in some areas anyway) that the first bullet in the gun is a blank. Does anyone know if that's generally the case?

Two knives, yet he was outflanked!

"One officer told him to drop it but the man kept coming. The other officer fired one warning shot in the air but when the man refused to stop, the officer fired a second shot which hit the man in the chest."

https://japantoday.com/category/crime/Police-officer-fatally-shoots-man-threatening-him-with-saw

Wow...going up against 3 cops with guns. With two kitchen knives. Fatality waiting to happen.

Seems very dangerous.

People/property can be injured/damaged sometimes fatally, when bullets discharged into the air fall back down to the ground.

Warning shot in the air, if there is time and no danger is standard procedure.

I am relieved the police were able to detain and arrest this man but they fired a shot into the air prior to shooting him. It's an action I've only seen bank robbers do in the movies.

and fired a shot into the air

That is not a good thing to do. Where did the bullet eventually land?

In a crowded city, he fired a shot into the air!?! That could have resulted in a fatality somewhere else.

Outside an apartment building in Suminoe at 6am - not so crowded.

Good policing in bringing this horrible psychopath down before he could injure more people. Hopefully he is locked away for a very long time.

I just hope that the poor woman recovers.