A Tokyo police officer faces punishment for drawing his loaded gun on Tuesday when he ordered three boys to go home, police officials said.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Personnel and Training Bureau is questioning the 27-year-old officer, suspecting his actions constitute violence and cruelty by a special public officer.
"His actions can't be recognized as appropriate use of a weapon. We'll take severe punitive measures against him," a bureau official said.
He admitted to the allegations. "I thought I had no choice but to instruct the defiant boys in a high-handed manner. I'm sorry," he was quoted as saying during questioning.
The incident occurred in the Takinogawa district of Kita-ku, Tokyo, at around 8:35 p.m. on Tuesday, investigators said.
The officer rushed to the scene after receiving a call from a local resident complaining three boys were talking loudly near an intersection. He urged the boys to leave the scene, but they sat down again on the road about 10 meters away from the intersection.
The officer then approached the boys and drew his loaded gun. At the time, the officer was only 50 centimeters to one meter away from them.
The incident came to light after the boys complained to a local police station that the officer pointed his gun at them.
The officer denied that he touched the trigger of the gun. Investigators are questioning him over the details of the incident, including whether he actually pointed the gun at the boys.
警視庁：男性巡査長が路上の少年３人に拳銃抜く
警視庁警務部は、滝野川署地域課の男性巡査長（２７）が２６日夜、路上にいた少年３人に拳銃を抜いて立ち去るよう命じたと２７日、発表した。警務部は特別公務員暴行陵虐容疑で巡査長から事情を聴き、銃口を向けたかどうかなどについて慎重に調べている。巡査長は調べに「少年の態度が改まらなかったので強く出なければと思った。申し訳ない」などと供述しているという。
調べでは、巡査長は２６日午後８時３５分ごろ、東京都北区滝野川２の区道交差点付近に座り込んでいた１７歳の防水作業員ら少年３人に対し、実弾が装てんされている拳銃を抜いたという。「大声で話をしてうるさい」との１１０番を受けて駆けつけた。談笑する少年らに立ち去るように指示したが、約１０メートル先の路上で再び座り込むなどしたため、１メートル～５０センチの至近距離で拳銃を抜いたとみられる。
少年らが直後、滝野川署に「拳銃を向けられた」と訴えて発覚。巡査長は「引き金には指を入れていない」などと話しているという。巡査長は０３年１０月から現職場で、少年らとは初対面だった。
中村格警務部参事官は「武器の適正な使用にはあたらず、厳正に対処する」と話している。
Mainichi
February 27, 2008
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