Hostage dies after 11-hour standoff in Saitama

Jan 28, 2022 | News On Japan

Jan 28, 2022 (Japan Times) - A hostage was confirmed dead and an a gun-wielding suspect was arrested on Friday following an 11-hour standoff in Fujimino, Saitama Prefecture.

Police stormed a house in a residential neighborhood at around 8 a.m Friday and arrested Hiroshi Watanabe, 66, on suspicion of attempted murder. A shotgun was found inside the house.

Junichi Suzuki, a 44-year-old male doctor who had been taken hostage, was killed after being shot, police said. Suzuki was among three medical workers who had visited the suspect’s house. A second victim was said to be in critical condition.

Police first responded following an emergency call received at about 9:15 p.m. Thursday saying that a bleeding person was found lying near the house after gunshots were heard.

According to police and fire authorities, a 41-year-old man who had been shot in the chest and stomach was found lying near the entrance of the house and was then taken to a hospital. The man, a physical therapist, was conscious at the time, but authorities later said he is in critical condition. A 32-year-old man, who had rushed to a a nearby police station and said his face had been sprayed with something like pepper spray, was also taken to a hospital.

The suspect spoke to police by phone during the incident but did not make any demands, investigative sources said.

The doctor was known as a pioneer of home-visit medical care in the area, according to a health care manager who works in the city.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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