TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have released the name of the 37-year-old man who was arrested after he wielded a knife as he barricaded himself inside a restaurant in Shibuya Ward on Monday, reports Sankei Sports (June 26).
At around 2:40 p.m., the Harajuku Police Station was tipped off about a man who declined to pay his bill and was behaving violently. Officers arriving at the izakaya restaurant, located on the second floor of a building near JR Yoyogi Station, encircled the area to coax the him into giving himself up.
Slightly more than two hours later, officers from the special police force SIT (Special Investigation Team) entered the building and apprehended Akira Moriyama, of no known occupation.
Moriyama was later arrested on suspicion of obstructing the duties of a public servant. “I committed the crime, but since I am drunk on alcohol I’ll talk later,” the suspect was quoted by police.
During the incident, Moriyama hurled bottles and shot off fireworks. He also threw a chair through the front window. In television footage, Moriyama was shown shirtless, sporting a number of tattoos, and standing in front of the shattered window with the knife.
At the time the incident began, there were employees inside the restaurant. However, they all managed to flee to safety, police said.
