Police officer fires at man in car for obstruction of official duties in Shibuya, Tokyo

In the early morning of the 19th, on the streets of Honcho, Shibuya Ward of Tokyo, a police officer fired at a car accelerating towards him, leaving the male driver with an injury in his left thigh. The Metropolitan Police Department arrested the man on grounds of obstructing official duties and is further investigating the situation. 

The arrested driver, a 21-year-old man from Shibuya Ward, was arrested on the spot before being rushed to the hospital. The driver’s life was not in danger, and the police officer was unharmed.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, at around 6:30 AM on the 19th, the police had received an emergency report from a woman about a verbal dispute breaking out, to which a police officer had responded on a bicycle and faced the car head-on. The officer warned the car vehicle to stop, which it did not comply with, and started to accelerate towards him. Thus, the officer discharged his firearm, hitting the driver on his left thigh. 

The car immediately fled the scene after the fire but was later tracked down by the police in under an hour. The driver was arrested on the spot before being rushed to the hospital. He is reportedly not in a life-threatening situation. 

Regarding the incident, the Yoyogi Police Station (where the officer involved was stationed), said that they consider his action an appropriate execution of duties and will continue to further investigate the details of the case.

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun