TOKYO (TR) – In the fire bomb attack on the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters and the Prime Minister’s official residence in Chiyoda Ward over the weekend, police now believe that the suspect also unleashed a spray, reports Kyodo News (Oct. 21).
At just before 6:00 a.m. on October 19, Atsunobu Usuda, a 49-year-old resident of Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, got out of his white minivan and threw several Molotov cocktails at the LDP headquarters. Three riot police officers suffered minor throat injuries due to the subsequent fire from the Molotov cocktails.
In the latest development, police have learned that the suspect also sprayed liquid from a high-pressure hose. The Public Security Bureau is in the process of analyzing the liquid to identify its ingredients.
The suspect fled from the LDP headquarters in his car and crashed it into the security fence in front of the Prime Minister’s official residence. He was arrested on the spot on suspicion of obstruction of the duties of public officials for throwing the fire bombs.
The car caught fire. The majority of the approximately 20 plastic containers loaded inside the car contained gasoline. It is possible that he was trying to ignite them, police said.
The Public Security Bureau seized 25 glass bottles, plastic containers, a computer, a tablet device and other items from the suspect’s home in Kawaguchi. They will analyze the items to determine the suspect’s motive.
