Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tokyo cops: Elderly man cut open stomach at police HQ

An elderly man used a knife to slice open his stomach in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police headquarters on Tuesday
An elderly man sliced open his stomach at the entrance of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police headquarters on Tuesday

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested an elderly man who used a knife to slice open his stomach in an apparent suicide attempt at the entrance of its headquarters in Chiyoda Ward, reports Nikkan Sports (Feb. 21).

At around 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Shoji Tsuchida, a 71-year-old resident of Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, used a knife with an 8.6-centimeter blade to repeatedly slice his stomach inside a first-floor waiting room of the headquarters, located in the Kasumigaseki district.

The suspect also injured the left hand of an assistant inspector, 41, who attempted to apprehend him. Both persons were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment with light injuries.

Tsuchida was later charged with violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law and inflicting injury. “I did not plan to injure the police officer,” the suspect was quoted by the Kojimachi Police Station.

About 30 minutes before the incident, Tsuchida entered the building without an appointment to consult with police about a matter. “If you do not listen to me, I will die,” he later said before pulling the knife from his bag, according to Fuji News Network (Feb. 22).