Police sergeant nabbed for threatening to kill woman

NAHA -- A police sergeant has been arrested for threatening to kill a woman by sending her e-mail messages from his mobile phone.

Masaharu Fukuchi, 49, a sergeant at Ishikawa Police Station in Okinawa Prefecture, is accused of intimidation.

Fukuchi has denied the allegations, saying, "I was drunk and don't remember threatening her."

Okinawa Prefectural Police were apologetic about the incident. "We deeply apologize to prefectural citizens and will strive to recover the public's confidence in us," said Shiho Toma, a senior officer at the prefectural police's inspection office.

In the specific cases for which the suspect was arrested, Fukuchi sent a woman e-mail messages saying he would kill her on 14 separate occasions between the afternoon of Jan. 10 and the morning of Jan. 11. One of the messages was apparently sent while he was on duty.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Investigators suspect that Fukuchi sent the woman similar messages on about 60 occasions since Nov. 28 last year. On a few other occasions, he allegedly even called her and said, "I will kill you."

Police have found no link between the police sergeant and the woman, and they suspect that Fukuchi had mistaken her for an acquaintance.

脅迫警官：携帯メールで女性に「殺す」…逮捕　沖縄

　携帯電話のメールを使って女性を脅したとして、沖縄県警は１７日、石川署警務課留置管理係の巡査部長、福地正治容疑者（４９）を脅迫容疑で逮捕した。

　調べでは、福地容疑者は１０日午後～１１日早朝、自分の携帯電話で１４回にわたって女性の携帯電話に「殺します。恨みをはらす」などとメール送信し、脅した疑い。うち１回は勤務中に送信したとみられる。福地容疑者は「酒に酔っていたため脅迫した記憶はない」と供述しているという。

　携帯電話の履歴などから、昨年１１月２８日以降、同じ女性に計約６０回、同様のメールをしたことがわかっており、数回は電話で直接「殺すぞ」などと脅したらしい。

　これまでの調べで２人に接点はなく、県警は福地容疑者が知人と勘違いして脅迫した可能性もあるとみて動機を追及している。

　当真嗣邦（とうましほう）・県警首席監察官は１７日記者会見し「県民に深くおわびし、信頼回復に全力を尽くします」と謝罪した。