<figure id="attachment_429340" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 796px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429340"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="10292ff6"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/06/3371ce0ac5e338e7dcdd124a9ee6e24e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429340" class="wp-caption-text">Suspect Pongsathorn being sent to jail. Bandages are visible under his shirt.</figcaption></figure>
<h3><b>Assaulted while trying to escape questioning</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gunfire suddenly rang out in a quiet residential neighborhood surrounded by greenery.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.</span></p>
<p><b>“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.</b></p>
<p><b>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.’</b></p>
<p><b>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.’”</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Chiba Prefectural Police stated, </span><b>“At this point, we believe the use of the firearm was appropriate.”</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.</span></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="In many countries, police officers cannot be trusted."></div>
<h3><b>Why did he try to escape?</b></h3>
<p><b>“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.</b></p>
<p><b>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.”</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.</span></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Thai Suspect Tried to Run Over and Kill a Police Officer: &quot;Fierce and True Face&quot; (Japanese only)"></div>
<figure id="attachment_429441" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 441px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429441"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="72e5c552"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/06/6cbd7c5c3228be4dcd74d18a9197c7c7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429441" class="wp-caption-text">Suspect to be sent to jail.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_429341" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 820px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429341"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="bf5c1172"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/06/f8e10464afe2aca329c079603f4f8a2b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429341" class="wp-caption-text">He sped off in his light car and ran into a police officer.</figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<figure id="attachment_429342" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 938px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429342"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cd194b4e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/06/d89b0baea5b36583c02d895eb1966ce0.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429342" class="wp-caption-text">Was he trying to save his friends from arrest?</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_429343" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429343"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b97b2114"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/06/18efebb730e8910a68b48880ca5ed38e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429343" class="wp-caption-text">&#8220;I didn&#8217;t intend to kill him,&#8221; he said.</figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<figure id="attachment_429344" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429344"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5bc1448a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/06/21af046480bd381eadabd92ac7d183aa.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-429344" class="wp-caption-text">The man who was with him was also arrested for obstruction of justice.</figcaption></figure>


 Shinji Hasuo

 On June 13, a Thai man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and other charges after he drove his car into a police officer who was questioning him on duty and opened fire. The commotion started when the man's Thai companion assaulted the police officer in an attempt to escape. Why did the commotion occur?

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

Access Ranking