A 49-year-old man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of killing a captured pigeon he abused at his home, police said, after he posted videos of the abuse on social media.
Hiroshi Tsuji, a 49-year-old taxi driver from Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, allegedly captured a pigeon on a riverbank in Tokyo sometime between April and June 2024 and killed it between June and August.
He is accused of beating it with a whip and his hands before cutting off its head with scissors.
Tsuji was quoted as telling investigators before his arrest, "I killed the pigeon as it was unfriendly to me," according to police. He filmed himself plucking the bird's feathers and other abusive behavior and uploaded the footage on X.
The suspect had posted multiple videos of animal abuse on X since May 2023, with police receiving more than 100 reports and several animal welfare groups filing complaints.
He was previously arrested on Jan 26 for allegedly using a false name when purchasing a small bird at a Tokyo pet shop in November 2024.
© KYODO
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Gaijinjland
He was arrested for filming and uploading it, not for killing the pigeon.
wallace
The law prohibits attacking wild animals. This guy is sick. Would he have turned to hurting people?
Fighto!
Truly sick individual. Glad that his name is out there- he needs to be shunned in his community.
Hopefully he never finds work again and ends up sleeping in a park with swarms of pigeons all around.
commanteer
I was surprised that anyone would be arrested for killing a pigeon, but when I read the details I was relieved that this lunatic has been picked up before doing much worse.
Btang
covert parochialism click bait
kurisupisu
If I were tortured like that then I would definitely be ‘unfriendly’ to my abuser!
gaijintraveller
The suspect had posted multiple videos of animal abuse on X since May 2023, with police receiving more than 100 reports and several animal welfare groups filing complaints.
This is why the police arrested him. They got so many reports that it was apparent arresting him was less effort than answering all the reports and investigating them. Also, he provided video evidence of his own guilt, so the police didn't have to do any further investigation. Maybe he would have got away with it if there had been only 50 or so complaints. It takes a lot to get the police to act.