Professional concerns preceded cop's suicide in police box

A Tokyo police officer who shot himself dead while at work had told his family that he was concerned about being re-assigned to a police box after a long absence, investigators said.

"I'm worried about working in a police box for the first time in years," Sergeant Yasumasa Onishi, 32, was quoted as telling his family.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is investigating whether there was a causal relationship between his concerns about working at the police box and his suicide.

Onishi was promoted to sergeant and transferred to Marunouchi Police Station on Dec. 13. He began working at the police box in front of JR Tokyo Station in Chiyoda-ku on Tuesday, the day before he committed suicide.

警官拳銃自殺：「交番勤務に不安」と家族にもらす　東京

　東京都千代田区の警視庁丸の内署東京駅前交番で１９日朝、拳銃自殺した丸の内署地域課の大西泰正巡査部長（３２）＝足立区西新井７＝が「交番勤務は久しぶりで不安だ」と家族に話していたことが分かった。丸の内署は自殺との関連を調べている。

　警視庁によると、大西巡査部長は交通機動隊の白バイ隊員だったが、昇任に伴い１３日付で丸の内署に異動、１８日夕から約３年ぶりとなる交番勤務に就いていた。私生活上の大きなトラブルは見当たらず、遺書も見つかっていないという。

December 20, 2007

Mainichi