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Kyoto: Report in tabloid precedes apparent suicide by police chief

KYOTO (TR) – The body of a 60-year-old police chief was found in Kyoto City on Tuesday, the result of an apparent suicide. The discovery follows the release of a report in a weekly magazine that detailed a family-related problem, Kyoto Prefectural Police said, reports NHK (Feb. 18).

At around 2:20 p.m., a staff member from the Kizu Police Station found Kazuhiko Egawa, 60, dead in a grove of mixed trees in the Omiya Shakadani area of Kita Ward. Inside his vehicle, which was found parked nearby, was what is believed to be a will.

Egawa, who was the chief of the same station, was not on duty on Tuesday. That morning, he departed his residence by car. In leaving, he hinted to family members that he was about to take his life. His family then alerted police.

Kizu Police station
The chief of the Kizu Police station was found dead in a grove of trees in Kyoto City’s Kita Ward on Tuesday (Twitter)

Police did not reveal how Egawa took his life. He planned to retire from his post next month, police said.

Last week, the magazine published an article that detailed a financial problem involving his family and a restaurant.