A man sprayed a book shop employee and five other people outside the store after he was caught shoplifting in Hiroshima on Saturday.
According to police, the man is believed to have stolen about 20 small comic books in a store at the Hiroshima Bus Center building at around 6:45 p.m. Saturday. As left the store without paying, he was chased by a woman employee who had observed him putting the books into a bag. When she grabbed the man, he sprayed her in the face with a substance that caused a stinging sensation to her eyes. He then sprayed five other people who had gathered around them.
The man fled before anyone could stop him. Police said three of the people sprayed were taken to hospital to have their eyes washed out.
The man is described as being in his late 50s or early 60s. He was wearing a black T-shirt, long black pants and a gray cap. He also wore glasses.
© Japan Today
14 Comments
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Do the hustle
Oh, an older manga addicted recluse attacks people with pepper spray after shoplifting his favorite manga. I guess they are lucky he didn’t have a knife.
Nobnaga
i think he don't know that he can read those comics online for free instead of stealing them lol
drlucifer
Petty theft are signs of a robust economy.
WilliB
Wow, those must be some really good manga...
Jonathan Prin
Pepper spray. No need to go to hospital lol.
Some would play with that when I was in junior high school.
He defended himself. What was the lady thinking by the way. To judo him for 20 books or so ?
Police will catch not thanks to the description (LOL) but thanks to the cams everywhere.
Anonymous
@Jonathan Prin
No. He assaulted the store employee with pepper spray.
Jonathan Prin
"As left the store without paying, he was chased by a woman employee who had observed him putting the books into a bag. When she grabbed the man, he sprayed her in the face ".
As controversial it may be, he defended himself.
I am not a law officer, I don't grab people because you risk your life for that in all countries. I call police.
He should go to jail but the pepper spray stuff is anecdotal.
SwissToni
As controversial it may be, he defended
he did not defend himself, he attacked the staff from the store that he was stealing from. He went armed and used his weapon. No ifs
no buts no excuses. He went prepared to do harm for a few books. He needs punished.
Anonymous
@Jonathan Prin
Quite right. Kick him in the balls then call the police. They’re bound to show up before he gets up.
Chip Star
Defending yourself means the other did not have justification for touching you. Here, the employee had legal justification for grabbing the shoplifter.
That is painfully obvious from your comment.
Good for you, but that does nothing to change the fact that the thief was not defending himself.
No, it's not anecdotal. Having taken the pepper spray to commit a crime goes to premeditation. It also increases the available penalties.
Stick to whatever it is that you do because the law is clearly not your thing.
shogun36
20 manga? Greedy fool. Take 1-2 per day instead, less obvious.
How much is one anyway? ¥200? It's called a part time job at the combini. Get one.
Jonathan Prin
@chip star
In Japan, because whenever a nail sticks out it gets hammered down, you could kill the thief and no one would say a thing.
I was saying my view as common sense.
Don't grab a person unless you have the power to do so or face retaliation.
In many countries, the thief may knife you when physically attacked.
So please don't put your life at risk for mangas.
PS : many 'd be surprised to see the outcome of ruling in many other countries about such cases.