Man held for setting 2 police officers on fire in Okinawa

Poor guys, just going about their jobs. Hope they make a full recovery

I'd like to know what they were there investigating.

I thought Japanese police were armed? Unless I am wrong, why didn't they just shoot him? Nonetheless I sympathise with the poor devils, as Penfold said just doing their job.

I'd like to know what they were there investigating.

Gasoline theft? Poor coppers, what a terrible thing to happen.

The suspect allegedly poured the liquid on them before setting fire to it.

So.......the police allowed the man to pour the gas on them? I mean, it takes time to pour the gasoline AND THEN light it. But they allowed him to do both! I think the police needs to be re-trained. Not with guns, but a sense of common sense.

How did he manage to pour gas on them AND still have time to light the fire?

He shouldn't have done that.

Must've been premeditated. It's not easy to actually do this.

The suspect allegedly poured the liquid on them before setting fire to it.

"Allegedly".

Not sure that pour is correct, sounds more like thrown/splashed from a cup or similar container.

One hand for cup, other lighter.

premeditated, so attempted murder. Throw the book at him.

"thrown/splashed"... pacint above probably has it. You cannot take these articles too literally, ie you have to allow for subtle differences under translation.

Just checking other J news sources for further detail and the suggestion is that the fire brigade were called out to a fire. It turned out that the cops had already gone to arrest this guy for suspicion of causing injury and he was thowing gasoline around in order to set fire to the place.

Some of the liquid must have splashed onto them, but they must surely have thought he would never actually set light to it.

He'll get off with Japan's NO CONFESSION--NO CONVICTION policy...

Another news source gives a totally different version of events here, (in Japanese though). He was not arrested specifically for harming the cops, but for obstruction of official duties and destruction of property, and the cops seem to have fallen off the balcony, one now in intensive care...? As WA4TGK above, I now begin to wonder exactly what happened there.

https://news.goo.ne.jp/article/okinawa/region/okinawa-85157726.html

Hopefully he stays in jail for a very long time. These guys were just doing their jobs. Too and we have people like that in the world. Hope the cops make a full recovery.

What a stroke of bad luck! But it was good no one was killed. Sincerely hope they recover ASAP.

Have you ever noticed WHAT they're " Armed " with?

It's a wonder the things work at all.

englisc aspyrgend May 18  08:06 am JST I thought Japanese police were armed? Unless I am wrong, why didn't they just shoot him? 

As is typical with so many news articles posted at JT, this one is thin detail. However, a more obvious reaction to someone pouring gasoline on you would be to simply step away from the person or, since they are supposedly trained professionals, knock him to the ground before he could spark up. Since they never use them and probably receive only minimal firearms training to begin with, shooting the nut would likely have been about the least reliable and efficient way to have avoided harm in this case.

Police are not allowed to just draw and shoot like overseas.

Strict rules as to when and how they can use them.

WA4TKG May 18  10:01 pm JST Have you ever noticed WHAT they're " Armed " with? It's a wonder the things work at all.

Most of Japan's armed police officers, all of whom are now armed in cities and large towns, carry the equivalent of a medium barrel .38 caliber revolver. Ask any firearms expert and they will confirm that revolvers are still a more reliable than a semi-auto, if a fraction of second slower. Special police and para-military units are armed as those you find anywhere else in the world - semi-auto sidearms and semi-auto assault rifles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Nambu_M60

Jeff Huffman, thanks for explaining.