OSAKA - A knife-wielding man died after a police sergeant shot him in the chest on a street in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, after he continued advancing toward five officers despite repeated warnings and a warning shot fired into the air.
Video footage of the incident showed the man approaching the officers while carrying a bladed weapon. An officer drew his handgun and repeatedly warned him, saying, "I will shoot," while urging him to drop the knife.
When the man continued moving toward the officers without responding, a male police sergeant fired one warning shot into the air. The man still did not stop, prompting the officer to fire a second round, which struck him in the left side of the chest.
The man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of obstructing officers in the performance of their duties and other offenses after he collapsed. He was taken to a hospital, where he was later confirmed dead.
An autopsy determined that he died from hemorrhagic shock caused by the gunshot wound to his chest.
The shooting occurred on a street lined with commercial facilities and homes in Kawachinagano. Police received an emergency call at around 7 p.m. on August 4 reporting that "a blood-covered man carrying a kitchen knife is acting violently near the entrance to a supermarket."
A staff member at a nearby supermarket said the man had brought milk to the checkout counter but left without purchasing it. "I do not know whether it was in his right or left hand, but he had a kitchen knife," the employee said. "I think he may have been gripping the blade itself. Blood was flowing and scattered around the area."
After officers arrived, the man approached them while pointing what appeared to be a knife in their direction.
A witness said there had already been a major disturbance when the witness arrived at the supermarket. "I heard a man shouting very loudly," the witness said. "When the shot was fired, I thought he had fallen, but he was still standing even after being shot. He then began saying, 'It hurts, it hurts,' and was speaking incoherently."
Police removed the cordon from the scene at around 4 p.m. on August 5. A substantial amount of what appeared to be blood remained on the road.
An acquaintance described the man as gentle and mild-mannered. "When he suddenly learned that his mother had died, he broke down sobbing," the acquaintance said. Asked why the man may have approached police with a knife, the acquaintance said, "I do not know. He may have been under severe emotional pressure."
Osaka Prefectural Police said it was regrettable that the man had died. The department said the circumstances appeared to meet the legal requirements for discharging a firearm, although the details of the incident remain under investigation.
Japanese police officers generally carry five-shot revolvers. Seizo Sasaki, a former investigator with the Saitama Prefectural Police First Investigation Division, said the weapons have the capacity to kill or seriously injure and that officers receive regular firearms training beginning at the police academy.
"The standards governing the use of weapons are strictly defined," Sasaki said. "When there is an immediate threat and no other means are available, police officers are permitted to fire their handguns."
Rules issued by the National Public Safety Commission establish detailed conditions governing each stage of handgun use, from drawing the weapon to firing it.
In another recent case, police fired a total of four shots while arresting a man who had entered a convenience store in Koshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 22. Two bullets struck the man, leaving him injured. Kumamoto Prefectural Police said on August 4 that the use of the firearm had been appropriate.
Sasaki said the Osaka shooting also appeared justified because the man was carrying a knife, appeared highly agitated and ignored both verbal warnings and the warning shot.
"He did not obey the warnings and did not respond even after a warning shot was fired," Sasaki said. "The conditions permitting officers to discharge a firearm were clearly met. I believe an officer would be justified in pointing a handgun at someone simply for possessing a knife under such circumstances."
Source: FNN
