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Riot police member apparently kills himself at prime minister’s residence

24 Comments

A 25-year-old member of the riot police assigned to the prime minister's official residence has died after apparently shooting himself in a toilet on Friday morning.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the man was found in a toilet cubicle at a guard station at around 4:40 a.m., bleeding from a bullet wound to his head, after a gunshot was heard, Kyodo News reported. His handgun was on the floor of the cubicle. Police said no suicide note was found.

He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is currently in Singapore on his way back from a four-nation visit to Africa.

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24 Comments
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currently in Singapore on his way back from a four-nation visit to Africa.

Guarding empty house, is that really tough job?

-23 ( +1 / -24 )

A pity with all that organisation, he couldn't reach out to someone for support.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

A 25-year-old member of the riot police assigned to the prime minister's official residence has died after apparently shooting himself in a toilet on Friday morning.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the man was found in a toilet cubicle at a guard station at around 4:40 a.m., bleeding from a bullet wound to his head, after a gunshot was heard, Kyodo News reported. His handgun was on the floor of the cubicle. Police said no suicide note was found.

a) … a twenty five year old… — too young, imho…; b) this mentally disturbed person was walking around the house of the PM of Japan…; a wake-up call, I ‘d say.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

On the plus side, if there is one, at least he only used the gun on himself.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Why are there riot police at Kishida’s house if he’s not even there?

One wonders if it wasn’t a suicide, but maybe he was just messing around with his gun and it went off by mistake?

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Perhaps it was because he was a keen 25 year old specialist policeman who realised that he was guarding a non-present person.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

and now the media reporters are going to hound his family, neighbors and friends like leeches.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

If this man was just an average Joe we would not be reading this. How sad.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Why are there riot police at Kishida’s house if he’s not even there?

It is not his own house but the official Prime Minister residence. It's the type of public building that they guard 24/7 (like Embassies). And it's probably never empty. Even when the PM does not live in it, there are offices, archives, reception rooms, parkings with the official cars and permanent staff.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Sad story. And sad location to commit suicide.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Very dangerous environment around Japanese former and active prime ministers.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Bad, very, very bad. Doesn’t get worse actually, optics wise, especially during the G7. A macabre warning that things need a good looking at .

He chose the location to spotlight his plight. RIP young fella. Tragic.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Note:

unfortunately, there’s too many suicides in Japan…; and, unfortunately, there’s an alarming number of reasons why these people give up and choose to end their own lives…; RIP to this young man.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Incredibly sad isn’t it

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Maybe, all such formal ritual jobs are even much more restricted than if you were a prisoner. Standing in full uniform for hours in such a small heated box with less area than a prison cell and not allowed to leave when you want or need , also not allowed to read something, talk to yourself or anyone else , maybe even no drinking or eating which is then only allowed in a few minutes breaks. I don’t know the details exactly, maybe some rules are less strict and others even stricter, but anyway, that’s surely some job the average person like you and me or that guy can’t stand for more than a few days and of course you develop some severe psychological problems, leading to quitting or suicide or any other violent outbreak attempt, especially it the order to do that guarding job would be part of a career cut or general bullying and all such.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Rip. Lots of issues everywhere.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Maybe this explains why the prime minister had to look to a homemade bomb upclose, if people taking care of him are so depressed and stressed that they kill themselves during work they are not going to be doing their jobs properly.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

Maybe this explains why the prime minister had to look to a homemade bomb upclose, if people taking care of him are so depressed and stressed that they kill themselves during work they are not going to be doing their jobs properly.

No, this one guard had a different job, which is why Japan's greatly improved security was able to protect Kishida and keep the homemade bomb far away and secured,

0 ( +2 / -2 )

which is why Japan's greatly improved security was able to protect Kishida and keep the homemade bomb far away and secured,

You keep making this claim, but the first bomb used was succesfully thrown to Kishida without problem by the criminal, and he was apprehended by civlians. The security had no role in preventing any of these things, and it should have, a simple bag check would have prevented the attacks.

On the other side riot police have no role in that, so this event is likely completely unrelated. The failure of the security has probably other reasons to explain it.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It may not be a suicide since there is no note. I guess Investigation must be ongoing to check his phone messages etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A 25-year-old member of the riot police assigned to the prime minister's official residence has died after apparently shooting himself in a toilet on Friday morning.

Very sad. Might have been bullying involved. Also, Japan's police and security have increased their presence and measures since Abe was shot, so maybe there was extra pressure on him.

Even though the police were successful in preventing Kishida from getting harmed by the smoke bomb, and also saved onlookers from being injured, they were unable to save this police officer.

RIP.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Even though the police were successful in preventing Kishida from getting harmed by the smoke bomb, and also saved onlookers from being injured, they were unable to save this police officer.

That is still as mistaken as the last time you repeated it, as written before:

You keep making this claim, but the first bomb used was succesfully thrown to Kishida without problem by the criminal, and he was apprehended by civlians. The security had no role in preventing any of these things, and it should have, a simple bag check would have prevented the attacks.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is currently in Singapore on his way back from a four-nation visit to Africa.

At least Kishida is coming back to a safer, security enhanced Japan, which will trickle over into improved safety for the G7.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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