crime

Shoplifting suspect jumps to his death from apartment balcony while police inside

15 Comments

A man, suspected of being a shoplifter, jumped to his death from his apartment balcony while police officers were waiting inside for him in Oita City, Oita Prefecture.

According to an NHK report, a drugstore called police at around 7:30 p.m. on Friday and said that a man had left the store without paying for some items.

Police searched the area and found a man in his 40s answering the description of the alleged shoplifter at around 9:30 p.m. They asked the man to accompany them to the police station for voluntary questioning. The man requested that he be allowed to go back to his apartment to pick up some personal items.

The police officers went with him. When they entered the fourth-floor apartment, they waited in the living room while the man went into another room. He then went out onto the balcony and jumped.

The suspect was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries at around 11 p.m.

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15 Comments
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Bit of an extreme way to try to avoid a shoplifting charge. Maybe shame got the better of him, as it is supposed to for the little people. At the top meanwhile ...

4 ( +12 / -8 )

I don't think he thought he would die.

He probably just wanted to flee the area, go to the airport, get into a music box, and fly overseas to a country that does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.

R.I.P

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

Getting arrested in Japan is not what you imagine where you come from. A charge like that could put him in prison for a very long time and ruin his life.

I doubt it. The most he could have got was a criminal record after saying he was sorry. Even some murderers and rapist get away with suspended sentences.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

He probably stole a box of magnums, "just out of curiosity" but was too ashamed that he couldn't fill them out?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Is better for him if he were in their custody? Even while in their custody they can't guarantee his safety, there are several cases for this.

https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/feature-film-shines-spotlight-on-tragic-death-of-disabled-man

https://japantoday.com/category/crime/diabetic-detainee-dies-in-police-custody-after-not-eating-for-3-days-or-being-given-medication

Either he is actually did that or not it doesn't matter Japan hostage justice system will force him to confess, whether he did it or not.

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2015/12/05/forced-to-confess

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

LoveJapan

A charge like that could put him in prison for a very long time and ruin his life.

For SHOPLIFTING? I do not believe that for a second. If you have a reference for that claim, please show it.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Getting arrested in Japan is not what you imagine where you come from. A charge like that could put him in prison for a very long time and ruin his life.

Ruin his life ??? really ?....as much as dying ?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Maybe he too much of that special takoyaki from nagoya?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

It was only the 4th floor. He probably felt he could escape by jumping. If the area below his veranda was landscaped, as opposed to pavement, I could see him willing to take the chance to avoid arrest.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Also, he may have been trying to get from his veranda to the 3rd floor veranda, then either try again for the 2nd floor veranda to jump from there, or just jump from the the 3F.

I doubt very much he was trying to kill himself. It's still possible, of course. Just doubtful.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Everybody has jokes. These are HARD economic times. Worst I've ever seen. There's no support. Japanese are shutting off everything they can and they are still being bottom-fed by the government. Yes, he probably stole something. No doubt he probably needed whatever he stole. This guy checked out.

This government NEVER should have allowed price gauging on food items. Tap the road tax, add more to luxury sales, raise the prices of cigarettes, but you don't take food off the table. We can expect more of these stories while the people of Japan live under duress.

Any of us, even the best of us, if pushed to the absolute limit where you can't eat or maintain living essentials will grab and run. It doesn't make you a bad person to try to stay alive.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Doesn’t make sense. If he wanted to die he just could have run away or attack and wait until they shoot him dead while fleeing or attacking. So maybe he wasn’t as lonely on the balcony as it might sound.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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