TOKYO (TR) – Police are hunting for a 44-year-old man who escaped a tense residential standoff after allegedly attacking two teenage boys with a hammer and spraying officers with an unknown liquid in Fussa City on Wednesday.
According to Tokyo Metropolitan Police, an arrest warrant for attempted murder has been issued for the suspect, who managed to slip through a police perimeter and remains on the run. At least five people were injured in the ensuing chaos, reports TV Asahi (Apr. 29).
The violent incident unfolded just after 7:00 a.m. in the Kamidaira area. The suspect’s mother had reportedly warned a group of seven teenagers who were chatting loudly on the street. Shortly after, her 44-year-old son emerged from their residence wielding a hammer.
Although his mother attempted to physically restrain him from behind, the suspect violently broke free and charged at the group, striking two high school boys in the head. The assailant then chased a teenage girl down the street until she managed to seek refuge inside a nearby home.
According to police, one boy suffered a fractured orbital bone in his left eye, while the other sustained minor injuries, including a bruised right shoulder.
Police arrival
When officers arrived at the scene following an emergency call at 7:30 a.m., the situation further escalated. The suspect brandished a survival knife at the officers, threatening, “If you come in, I’ll do it.” He then discharged an aerosol spray, believed to be pepper spray or a similar chemical liquid, directly at the police.
After entering his home, the man pointed a knife at police officers who arrived near the entrance and sprayed them with a liquid from a spray bottle. Three police officers complained of eye pain and other ailments and were taken to the hospital, but their injuries were deemed minor.
Following the confrontation, the man retreated and barricaded himself inside his home. The incident prompted a massive deployment of investigative units and tactical police, who quickly surrounded the property and attempted to negotiate his surrender.
However, when a tactical team utilized ladders to breach the home’s first and second-story windows shortly before noon, they discovered the residence was empty.
Subsequent investigations and security camera footage revealed that the suspect had taken advantage of the initial confusion after spraying the officers, quietly slipping out the back door at around 7:40 a.m. before a full siege perimeter could be established.
The fugitive is described as being approximately 173 centimeters tall with a solid build and a shaved head. He was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants. A heavy police presence with riot shields remains in the residential neighborhood as the manhunt continues.
