crime

Man arrested after dropping bowling ball from 4th floor of apartment building

43 Comments

Police in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, have arrested a 57-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he dropped a bowling ball to the street below from the 4th-floor corridor of his apartment building.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 10:40 p.m. on April 10, Kyodo News reported. Police said Michio Shimizu, a carpenter, who lives on the 4th floor, has admitted to dropping the 6.7-kilogram ball but denied intent to kill anyone below.

The ball did not fall near anyone walking by the building. It hit the ground near a bar on the first floor.

Police said Shimizu has so far given no motive for dropping the ball.

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43 Comments
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Police said Shimizu has so far given no motive for dropping the ball.

That's rude. How can they charge him then

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Oops !

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That’s quite contradicting to Darwin…lol There is no category ‘crime’ in real nature, only unattributed and random behavior in a range of possible physical, biological and intellectual limits (for example a mouse couldn’t move or throw a bowling ball while many mice already could move it, but still theoretical because they can’t produce one at all) and someone like that guy who can throw a bowling ball, would quite often be the only survivor as the fittest around.

But I like your idea of punishments fitting a crime anyway.

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Yes... Newton was right.

Darwin as well.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They should let the punishment fit the crime.

Have someone drop him, head first off the fourth floor balcony.

See how he likes it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So did it bounce or shatter?

In the late 1980's someone threw a TV from about the 12th floor of a tower block in Sheffield in England while I was walking about 30 meters away. That shattered along with my nerves...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Attempted murder!?

How can that be the charge if the police have no proof that a person was the target? Nuisance charge until otherwise proven would seem to be more appropriate me thinks.

S

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For playing "roulette" with a bowling ball and people's lives he needs a psychiatric assessment and given a custodial sentence as a menace to society.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Maybe he was practicing his bowling technique from atop?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Information omitted from article, but reported elsewhere was the fact the bowling ball was "order-made" for its owner. This allowed police to connect it to the suspect through a production serial number. The colour, too is very distinctive; bright purple...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

maybe one of those noise related issues again that seems to tip so many japanese over the edge!?

the fact it was near the bar at 10:40pm is a bit of a give away.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Perhaps he was conducting a gravity experiment. Or, he’s another freak off his leash. Sadly, I fear the latter to be true.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Another "Only in Japan" Moment.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Yes... Newton was right.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Yes, a bad world to most of us. If his name would have been Newton and the bowling ball an apple he would be now a celebrated man and had a positive place in the history books for centuries to come. lol

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Wow! Well...that's definitely a new one.

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I wonder what happened to the bowling ball?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Mostly likely one of those lunatics that go nuts when they hear noise in their apartment building.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

You just can't teach stupid stupid! This guy progress from a sunflower seed to a walnut!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

WOW!!! What was this guy THINKING? Michio Shimizu, is a carpenter, who I am surprised didn't say he doesn't remember anything and that he must have been drunk that night. Playing physics and the game of chance. What was he thinking, was he trying to test Japans gravitational pull on the earths crust. Certainly not, he must have over exposure of saw dust on his brains? 57 years old doing what a 5 year old knows what not to do. I am tired of hearing the same old words where these idiots are quick to deny that they had no intent to kill anyone. The point is he should have known that his stupid action had the potential to kill someone. I just don't get the justification "The ball did not fall near anyone walking by the building. It hit the ground near a bar on the first floor". Ok what if the ball did hit someone, then what? Still this is not right!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The man has clearly been watching waaay too many oldie cartoons like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Maybe a few months in the slammer will help him suss out that what's entertaining and harmless in cartoons is not suitable for reality.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It wouldn't likely hit a specific target, not without doing the math and having accurate measurements of when and where the target would be. 54 year old behaving like a college idiot? Maybe. Or maybe attempted murder.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

Well, if he stay silent, there is zero chance of them able to charge him with anything without proof. As no one was injured, the best they can do is give him fine for property damage.

Absolutely correct. It is refreshing to see some people with understanding of the law.

Without further evidence -I won't go into details of the different sort of evidence here cause I did so in another explanation-the prosecution will bear the onus of proving his intention to harm or kill a person. Regarding the property damage, as it is a 親告罪 it is only prosecuted by request of the person whose property was damaged, e.g. the condo owner or the city. But I can not see Art 261 being used here as there must be an intention for the damage - if he dropped the ball by accident (which he should claim if he is clever), then the lack of intention will prevent prosecution under Art 261 as well. He still might be liable under civil law but maybe he has an insurance to cover the costs.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

If he has no criminal record, he is likely to receive a suspended sentence no matter what. But if he does not confess to anything, then the prosecutors will not even indict him.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

It's these morons that gives health and safety license to crop every pleasure. Already in many apartments and hotels there are windows that cannot open or have a thin slit that opens. Most balconies and top of buildings (church etc) are now netted or glassed, once it was open and we could see a beautiful view

Seems like you are going to the wrong places.

I remember 5-6 years ago, I was staying at a hotel very near Kannai station in Yokohama after a night of drinking with my working colleagues. The next morning I wanted to smoke a cigarette and while looking for a smoking space, I ended up somewhere on the 18th or 19th floor where there was a rather large window, conveniently located just 2ft above the floor which opened up pretty wide. I stepped out onto the roof of the building and enjoyed a coffee and a cigarette while watching the sun rise over that part of the city - no fences or nets in sight.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Well, if he stay silent, there is zero chance of them able to charge him with anything without proof. As no one was injured, the best they can do is give him fine for property damage.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Motive? - “Police said Shimizu has so far given no reason for dropping the ball.” may be a better summation of the suspect’s stupid act.

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Doesn't have the intelligence to think about the consequences of his actions but it's curious enough to see what happens when you drop a bowling ball. This places his equivalent iq in the 3-5 years old age bracket. Lock him away pretty good and remove his driver's license, if he somehow got one (doubtful).

0 ( +5 / -5 )

He was just target practicing.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

I opened a window once up pretty high the latch broke off falling on the pavement, luckily it didn’t hit anyone, my point is maybe it slipped out of his hands? Or he was bowling in the living room and it bounced off something and flew over the balcony, or he is a tool.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Throw him in Prison for attemted murder!

-11 ( +2 / -13 )

Boredom

0 ( +5 / -5 )

A 10 year spell at His Emperors pleasure for this Shimizu dropkick may keep those in Akashi a little safer. Just luck that no one was killed by this cowardly, despicable act.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Motive: Stupidity

Good no one was hurt. Who knows whether he had a motive, the Boomtown Rat's line "the silicone chip inside her head switched to overload..". Sometimes people just snap, and if they have a loaded gun or perhaps a bowling ball nearby use it. I am very happy Japan's gun laws are so tough.

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

Don't just give him a slap on the wrist.

5 ( +13 / -8 )

Motive: Stupidity

9 ( +17 / -8 )

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