HIROSHIMA (TR) – Hiroshima Prefectural Police are searching for a man who plunged into a river in Miyoshi City after he was stopped on suspicion of stealing a car early Friday, reports TBS News (Sept. 8).
At around 12:30 a.m., police on patrol in Akitakata City stopped the man who was driving a vehicle reported stolen. After the man fled in the vehicle, police gave chase.
About seven kilometers away, police found the vehicle smashed against a guardrail in Miyoshi. As police approached the vehicle, the man climbed out and plunged into a nearby river, during which time one officer fired a single round from a pistol as a warning.
During the incident, rain had caused the depth of the water to rise, police said. As of 11:30 a.m. on Friday, the man’s whereabouts were still unknown. He is believed to be in his 20s or 30s.
Update: Masami Orito, 25, was arrested on suspicion of interfering with the duties of a public servant. Police were tipped off about a person seated at a bus stop who was barefoot, reports Nippon News Network (Sept. 10).
