TOYAMA (TR) – Toyama Prefectural Police fatally shot a 38-year-old man after he was found wielding a knife in Toyama City early Monday, reports Jiji Press (March 22).
At 3:22 a.m., a person living at the residence of Yuji Koda, of no known occupation, made a distress call. About 13 minutes later, officers arrived at the scene and found Koda with the 20-centimeter-long knife.
“I’ll stab you,” he reportedly told a male officer. The officer responded, “Drop the knife or I’ll shoot you.”
From a distance of about 5 meters, the officer fired a single shot, striking Koda in the chest. He was confirmed dead at a hospital about 50 minutes later, the Toyama-Chuo Police Station said.
About five minutes before the arrival of police, a woman living in the neighborhood also called police after Koda’s mother came to her door. “[My neighbor’s son] is acting violently,” she said.
A representative of the Toyama Prefectural Police said, “We believe the shooting [of the suspect] was an appropriate measure.”
Police are continuing the investigation on suspicion that Koda violated the Swords and Firearms Control Law.
