Thai Man Tries to Run Over Police Officer and Gets Shot—The Story Behind the Attempted Murder Case

Assaulted while trying to escape questioning

Gunfire suddenly rang out in a quiet residential neighborhood surrounded by greenery.

On June 14, the Asahi Police Station of the Chiba Prefectural Police arrested Sontira Pongsathon (31), who claims Thai nationality and has no fixed address, on suspicion of obstructing official duties and attempted murder. Pongsathon had been injured after being shot in the shoulder by a police officer.

“Around 4 p.m. on the 13th, two patrolling police officers spotted three vehicles parked in tandem on a sidewalk. There were men sitting in two of the cars, so the officers began questioning them. One man (32) tried to flee and assaulted the officers, leading to his arrest on the spot for obstructing official duties. While they were handling the arrest, the other car—driven by Pongsathon—suddenly accelerated toward the officers. One of the officers fired three rounds from his service weapon.

Pongsathon fled the scene in his vehicle, which was found abandoned in the city about three hours later. At around 8:20 p.m., he turned himself in accompanied by an acquaintance, saying, ‘I was shot by a police officer.’

He had a gunshot wound in his right shoulder and was taken to a hospital, but his life was not in danger. Regarding the charges, he partially denied intent by stating, ‘I didn’t mean to kill.’”

The Chiba Prefectural Police stated, “At this point, we believe the use of the firearm was appropriate.”

What started as a routine questioning escalated into assault, obstruction of official duties, and an attempted murder charge involving the use of a firearm. While the reason why the first man tried to flee has not been disclosed, former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa commented on the case.

Why did he try to escape?

“If someone tries to run, the natural assumption is that they’re hiding something. However, in the case of foreigners—depending on whether they’re tourists or residents, and what kind of visa they have—being questioned by police might simply shock them. In many Southeast Asian countries, police officers aren’t seen as trustworthy, so even if someone hasn’t done anything wrong, they might try to flee out of fear.

That said, questioning foreigners is actually quite troublesome. There’s a language barrier, and some clever individuals pretend not to understand Japanese. In the case of a Thai person, it’s visually apparent they’re a foreigner, so the fact that the officer still chose to question them suggests there was some reason or suspicion motivating that decision.”

As of January 2025, the number of Thai nationals overstaying their visas in Japan ranked second, following Vietnam. In 2024, Thailand was the country with the highest number of individuals denied entry into Japan—1,415 people according to the Immigration Services Agency—a 28.5% increase from the previous year. The main reason for denial was “suspicious purpose of entry.” Additionally, the number of Thai nationals applying for refugee status in 2024 rose sharply to 2,128 from 184 in the previous year. This spike is believed to be due to stricter crackdowns on illegal immigrants in South Korea, prompting Thai illegal labor brokers to shift their operations to Japan.

While it remains unknown whether the suspect in this case was an overstayer, even if that wasn’t the case, it’s not hard to imagine that they lived under constant suspicion because of such stereotypes. That may be one of the hidden factors behind the incident.