'Tired' police officer leaps to death from apartment block

KAWASAKI -- A National Police Agency (NPA) superintendent was found dead here early Tuesday, apparently after he leaped to his death from a building, law enforcers said.

The 43-year-old officer was found dead on a road outside the apartment block where he lived at about 5:25 a.m. on Tuesday. A note saying, "I'm tired," was found in the superintendent's home, leading police to suspect that he committed suicide. They are investigating possible motives.

NPA officials said that the superintendent was hired by the Imperial Guard, and from March 14 he had been assigned to a division specializing in international terrorism countermeasures.

"He had just been transferred, and we can't think of any worries or trouble with work he might have had," an NPA representative said.

In the Imperial Guard, the superintendent had belonged to the No. 2 protection division in charge of guarding the crown prince and his family.

自殺：警察庁警視がマンションから飛び降りか　川崎

　２５日午前５時２５分ごろ川崎市麻生区のマンション前路上で、同マンションに住む警察庁警視の男性（４３）が倒れているのが見つかった。自宅からは「疲れた」などと書かれた遺書が見つかっており、神奈川県警麻生署は飛び降り自殺とみて動機を調べている。

　同庁によると警視は皇宮警察の採用で、今月１４日付で、同庁警備局国際テロリズム対策課に異動になった。同庁は「異動したばかりで、仕事上のトラブルや悩みは思い当たらない」としている。警視は皇宮警察では、皇太子ご一家の警備を担当する護衛２課に所属していた。

March 25, 2008

Mainichi