Society

Man who refused to wear mask on plane arrested again after trouble in restaurant

Apr 11 (Japan Today) - A man who was arrested for forcible obstruction of business after a plane he was on last September had to divert to another airport when he got into a dispute with cabin crew over his refusal to wear a mask, is in trouble with the law again.

Police said Junya Okuno, 34, of no fixed occupation, was arrested on Saturday after he punched a police officer who had been called to an eatery in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, Sankei Shimbun reported. The manager said that when Okuno entered the restaurant to have lunch, he was asked to wear a mask but he refused. When the manager asked Okuno to leave, a dispute ensued. Another customer called the police.

When a policeman arrived at around 12:50 p.m., Okuno lost his temper and punched the 38-year-old officer in the face, according to witnesses.

Police said Okuno has been charged with assault and again with forcible obstruction of business. Police said Okuno has refused to speak about the incident.

In the first incident last Sept 7, Okuno was aboard a Peach Aviation flight from Kushiro to Osaka. When a flight attendant asked him to wear a mask, he refused. He then started yelling at the woman and shoved her, injuring her elbow in the process. The flight was diverted to Niigata where he was offloaded for being a safety risk and arrested.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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