GUNMA, May 05 (News On Japan) - A police officer was seriously injured after being struck and dragged by a vehicle while conducting a traffic enforcement operation in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, on May 4th, with a suspect later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
At around 1:45 p.m. on May 4th, emergency services received a 119 call from a passerby reporting that a police officer had been involved in a suspected hit-and-run incident on a road in Ikaho Town, Shibukawa City.
According to police, the officer, identified as 46-year-old Senior Police Sergeant Takeshi Ueda, was found collapsed on the road and transported to a hospital in Shibukawa. He had been conducting traffic enforcement alone at the time.
Investigators said Ueda attempted to stop a vehicle that had ignored a stop sign, but the driver failed to comply and instead struck him, dragging him approximately 125 meters before fleeing the scene.
Ueda sustained severe injuries, including a significant head injury, but was reportedly conscious at the time he was taken to the hospital.
Police launched a manhunt for the driver and on May 5th arrested 64-year-old Tadashi Jinbo, whose occupation is unknown, in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, on suspicion of attempted murder and other charges.
Jinbo reportedly turned himself in at a police station at around 9:30 p.m. on May 4th, but has denied the allegations during questioning, stating, "I had no intention to kill or injure."
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident and the suspect’s motive for fleeing the scene.
Source: 群馬テレビ・ぐんテレ
