AICHI, Jul 17, 2024 (News On Japan) - A man threatened staff with a knife at Takahama City Hall in Aichi Prefecture on Tuesday, before pouring kerosine on his head and lighting it.
"Are you going to fight?" yelled the man holding a knife at the city hall service counter. He held a knife several dozen centimeters long in his right hand.
In front of him were city hall staff members. The agitated man advanced towards the staff who were holding a restraining pole.
While he was approaching the staff with the knife, it turned out he wasn't only carrying a knife.
The man, a 62-year-old, had entered the city hall shouting, "I'll die." In addition to the knife, he was carrying a plastic bottle believed to contain kerosene.
The man reportedly punctured the bottle with the knife and splashed the liquid towards the staff.
City officials in Takahama said, "He entered the office of the tax group and slashed a staff member's neck with the knife."
The man then doused his own head with the liquid, believed to be kerosene, and ignited it with a lighter. The staff quickly used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames and subdued the man.
Three staff members who intervened in the incident were injured. What led to this incident?
According to the city, the man had been delinquent in his tax payments for several years. While he had agreed to pay 100,000 yen monthly, he demanded a reduction to 50,000 yen, leading to disputes.
A Takahama city official said, "We told him he had to pay as agreed, but he repeatedly refused. When we insisted he keep his promise, he often became enraged."
The man was arrested on the spot on suspicion of trespassing but was taken to the hospital unconscious and is currently being treated.
Source: ANN
