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Maskhole: Man involved in another incident over non-wearing of mask

CHIBA (TR) – A man arrested over an incident resulting from his not wearing of a breathing mask has been taken into custody again, police have revealed, reports TV Asahi (April 12).

On April 10, Junya Okuno, 34, allegedly punched the face of a police officer responding to a disturbance at a bar in Tateyama City.

The disturbance was caused by Okuno not wearing a mask. “I do not [wear a mask],” he reportedly said.

He was later arrested on suspicion of interfering with the duties of a public servant. He has declined to comment on the allegations, the Tateyama Police Station said.

Okuno, of no known occupation, was sent to prosecutors on Monday. As police sent him to prosecutors, he also did not wear a mask, which delayed the process by 30 minutes.

“Suspects are required to wear masks to prevent the spread of infection, but [they] cannot be forced,” police said.

Junya Okuno refused to wear a mask when he was sent to prosecutors on Monday (Twitter)

No-mask crusader

Police first arrested Okuno in January. In that case, he was a passenger aboard a Peach flight that was forced to make an emergency landing last September after he wouldn’t wear a mask.

He was released on January 22.

Okuno is a no-mask crusader. On his blog, he claims that requiring people to wear masks infringes on social freedom.

Based on his tweets, Okuno also caused disturbances last year over his refusal to wear a mask at a museum for the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and at a hotel in Nagano Prefecture.