Shoplifter injures four in knife attack in Kumamoto

he hailed a taxi and asked to be taken to a nearby post office.

he was going postal on lunch break and had to get back to work

How can so many people let this one idiot escape??

he had a knife

It is better to have a bodyguard going to the supermarket with you nowadays.

There's something weird about going on a stabbing spree in your shorts. Cool biz?

makiminato, I wasn't aware there is a dress code for stabbing sprees

Why slash the taxi driver? He was basically the guy's wheelman.

@Human Target

I was wondering the same thing...

Better yet, why did the taxi driver open the door for a bloody, knife-wielding lunatic?

times are tough in Japan at the moment.. you got to take any ride you can get.... I wonder if he paid...

Stupid J-cops, stupid watchers, he had a knife! No-one disarmed him. Grow some balls.Step up step in take the knife and if you can ram it into his heart.

Cricky

Stupid J-cops, stupid watchers, he had a knife! No-one disarmed him. Grow some balls.Step up step in take the knife and if you can ram it into his heart

Funniest comment ever, obviously never been on the pointy end of a knife. It isnt like a movie or game where if it goes wrong you get a do over.

Stupid J-cops, stupid watchers, he had a knife! No-one disarmed him. Grow some balls.Step up step in take the knife and if you can ram it into his heart.

The police weren't at the scene yet, all of this happens within seconds/minutes.

Next time a guy pulls out a knife, you're more then happy to engage him.

I would have flipped him. Flipped him for real.

Shoplifter? I think he has graduated to the title of "random slasher" Please fix the headline. No sense in tainting shoplifters with this stigma.

Crickey:

" Stupid J-cops, stupid watchers, he had a knife! No-one disarmed him. "

Firstly, according to the article, there was no police on the scene, only a "security guard", whatever that means.

Now as for citizens heroics, OK, Crickey, you go ahead and "disarm" the next knife-wielding lunatic you see. Not in order to protect your or your family`s life, but just order to be good citizen.

Are you perhaps member in some martial arts club where they teach you nice routines to "disarm" a knife attacker? Good luck with that in real life.

Foxie:

" It is better to have a bodyguard going to the supermarket with you nowadays. "

A sturdy umbrella is also good.

At least we don't have to worry about an armed populace in Japan since personal firearms are not allowed. Where are all of those posters who keep saying that everytime a disturbance involving gunfire in the USA, that we don't need guns since you can easily disarm someone with a knife a lot easier.

Now as for citizens heroics, OK, Crickey, you go ahead and "disarm" the next knife-wielding lunatic you see. Not in order to protect your or your family`s life, but just order to be good citizen.

Point well taken.

AlphaapeAug. 11, 2011 - 07:41AM JST

Where are all of those posters who keep saying that everytime a disturbance involving gunfire in the USA, that we don't need guns since you can easily disarm someone with a knife a lot easier.

Alphaape, let's put it another way: Which scenario do you think offers the better chance of survival; Someone coming at you with a gun pointed towards your head, or someone coming at you with a knife pointed at your chest.

Sure, disarming someone with a knife is no cake walk, but I'll take disarming a guy with a knife over disarming a guy with a gun any day.

To me, this article tells me chances of surviving knife attacks are a lot better than gun attacks. How many articles have we seen recently on JT about fights breaking out in the US involving guns and ending up with dead people? If this shoplifter had a gun instead of a knife, the probability of one of those victims being killed would certainly increase, don't you think?

Readers, please stay on topic. Guns and references to the U.S. are not relevant to this discussion.

AlphaapeAug. 11, 2011 - 07:41AM JST

since you can easily disarm someone with a knife a lot easier.

Easily? Who said that? Ever? Can you name them? Or was it just one person?

The point is how many died. Looks like he slashed 5 people and none of them died or are in danger of dying.

Misrepresenting people like that is not remotely helpful to discussion.

its like many people in the world. Many feel that if it doesnt involve them they should not get involved. But then when they are the victim they expect everyone to help. But here in japan, that more often than not, people dont scream out for help or anything when assaulted.

Elbuda MexicanoAUG. 10, 2011 - 09:40AM JST How can so many people let this one idiot escape??

Unfortunately in the world today, we don't have many men left who have guts nor the defensive / fighting skills to disarm and hold people down in these types of situations. Not only here but the world over!.

Been on the pointy end, have actually been on it more than once, Ok I am lucky and have training, so maybe my comment is out of order. A kitchen knife is a dangerous weapon, but the security guard should have had a Barton and some training.

I really haven't noticed that many security guards with anything beyond a radio. In fact my father in law is a security guard (night time) at a Toyota dealership, he couldn't stop a stray cat, his primary duty is to call the cops if something happens. I agree with one of the above posts, why did the taxi driver even open the door? Or not just drive off? I am assuming he was still holding the lady while approching the taxi. I also agree with the point that this was one guy...how many men were there at the time? Kinda pathetic when you think about it, they wouldn't necessarily even need to engage him, just slow him down to give the police a little more time to respond. I take it he got away? No security cameras at the store or post office? Such a vivid description......hey that was me yesterday, oh and today too, wait maybe it was my neighbor...stupid.

Easily? Who said that? Ever? Can you name them? Or was it just one person?

The point is how many died. Looks like he slashed 5 people and none of them died or are in danger of dying.

Misrepresenting people like that is not remotely helpful to discussion.

You really haven't paid attention to the anti gun people on this website have you? I can't tell you where this person said it but Smithinjapan would be one. I wouldn't be surprised if Cleo said something similar.

You do realize Oracle that the whole point why Alphaape was purposely misrepresenting people like that is because anti-gun people on here, like Smithinjapan, purposely misrepresent pro-gun rights people on here. The whole point is to rub their face in it.

The reason why those five people are not seriously injured or dead is because he didn't use the knife correctly or that wasn't his purpose in using the knife. All he had to do for example is to to slit those people throats cut their jugular or stab them in the heart or in the head and they would be gravely wounded or dead. Same thing with a gun, if someone shots you in the arm or the leg or on the right side of your upper body your probably not going to die quickly, in fact you probably have several hours before it would become serious.

Alphaape, let's put it another way: Which scenario do you think offers the better chance of survival; Someone coming at you with a gun pointed towards your head, or someone coming at you with a knife pointed at your chest.

Wouldn't a more accurate comparison be someone coming at you with a knife pointed at your head? Here is a question for you, which one do you think you have a better chance of survival? Being shot in the head or being stabbed in the head? How about this one, being shot in the neck or being stabbed in the neck? How about this one, being shot in the heart or being stabbed in the heart?

To answer your question the answer would believe it or not would be gun the because your not guaranteed that the gun has any ammunition in it, it could be an empty firearm.

...it could be an empty firearm.

And it could be a rubber knife: one of those they sell in joke shops.

If you're so convinced that knives are as dangerous as guns then I suggest you make a proposal to the US military in Afghanistan that they replace all their automatic weapons with daggers: It'd sure save time, trouble and money, and, according to you, there'd be no impact at all on troop morale or effectiveness.

And it could be a rubber knife: one of those they sell in joke shops.

If you're so convinced that knives are as dangerous as guns then I suggest you make a proposal to the US military in Afghanistan that they replace all their automatic weapons with daggers: It'd sure save time, trouble and money, and, according to you, there'd be no impact at all on troop morale or effectiveness.

See this is the type of misrepresentation I'm talking about Oracle. Oh you can also add lucabrasi as one who has probably said it as well.

A nationwide manhunt is under way for this suspect.