Police in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, have arrested a 35-year-old man on suspicion of arson and property destruction after he threw a Molotov cocktail that ignited on the balcony of a hospital employee’s apartment.
According to police, Satoshi Sakai, a pharmacist, is accused of throwing the Molotov cocktail at around 10:50 p.m. on Sept 23, Sankei Shimbun reported. He threw the bottle filled with flammable liquid onto the second-floor balcony of the apartment where a 24-year-old hospital employee lives.
Police said the man’s wife noticed the fire and they were able to extinguish it. No one was injured during the incident.
Police arrested Sakai on Tuesday after an analysis of street surveillance camera footage. Police said he has admitted to throwing the Molotov cocktail but denied attempting to start a fire.
Police are investigating the motive behind the incident, specifically whether Sakai had a grudge against the hospital where the victim works.
© Japan Today
15 Comments
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sf2k
The chemistry is inert at rest which is why it can be transported. Only in motion and in this case the bottle breaking upon impact does the chemistry then explode. That's why it has to be thrown
kaimycahl
Should read: Satoshi Sakai, a former pharmacist now Arsonist admitted to throwing the Molotov cocktail. Wait this Sakai didn't know what he was throwing was flammable and could start a fire. It must be the medication he is handling he must have caught a cold contact!
Paul
There are two types of Molotov cocktails, there is one where a bottle contains flammable fluid and a burning fuse such as a rug, and there is another one which is a mixture of sulfuric acid, sugar, and potassium chlorate that ignites upon impact, thus eliminating the need for a lit fuse.
Brian Wheway
Police said he has admitted to throwing the Molotov cocktail but denied attempting to start a fire.
Do you honesty think were going to buy this dismal excuse? ...you are a pharmacist, I am sure youl understand what the flammable mixture are, and what they will do when they have an ignition source.
he was charged with "suspicion of arson"
what about intent to cause serious injury or death?
Hiro S Nobumasa
Sounds like this da-kine pharmacist is on drugs.
JerseyDevil
@Mark "Molotov cocktail?? first time I hear about it here ??"
Joe Blow
“I didn’t start the fire, it was always burning since the world’s been turning.”
Mark
Molotov cocktail?? first time I hear about it here ??
Ken Holcomb
A Molotov cocktail is normally a container, usually glass intended to break when it hits it's target, filled with a flammable liquid and a lit fuse stuffed into the opening of the container.
So if the genius pharmacist didn't light the fuse, how did the fire start? And if he did light the fuse, (the resulting fire that required extinguishing indicates it was lit), that pretty much shoots down his claim he didn't intend to start the fire.
Sorry Doc. You're busted.
shogun36
So what was he trying to do?
Ask the guy on a date? Start a happy birthday surprise? Make a lifelong friend?
snowymountainhell
Don’t Japanese “pharmacists” study basic chemistry? - Pretty sure a “flammable liquid” will start a fire, but then again, I didn’t go to one of Japan’s prestigious universities.
snowymountainhell
The suspect admitted to the “physics” @sf2K 6:35am. It’s the “chemistry” of the incident he’s denying.
snowymountainhell
Seems like there’s been more than one recent violent crime in Japan where the occupation of the perpetrator was identified as “pharmacist”?? - And, they seem to have been on other members of the medical industry? Any ideas, correlations or speculations would be interesting to read.
Skeptical
[A] pharmacist, is accused of throwing the Molotov cocktail . . . the bottle filled with flammable liquid onto the second-floor balcony of the apartment where a 24-year-old hospital employee lives.
Pharmacist and a hospital employee? Yes, it does sound like they know each other. Motive is there somewhere!
sf2k
how in physics is that possible?