“Don’t Take Pictures!” Intoxicated Man’s Violent Outburst After Stabbing Incident

He approached the media with an aggressive demeanor

“Hey, what are you taking pictures for!?”

On August 8, a man escorted by officers from the Ogikubo Police Station in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, emerged from the station. The moment he was hit by a barrage of camera flashes, he glared at the reporters and hurled insults.

The man, Hironori Ochiai (56), of unknown occupation and residing in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for stabbing a male acquaintance in his 50s in the back, causing injury.

“Around July 26, Ochiai was drinking with several people at an acquaintance’s apartment in Suginami Ward. During the gathering, he got into an argument with another person while intoxicated. When a third man tried to intervene, Ochiai allegedly stabbed him with a kitchen knife in the room. When officers arrived after receiving the report, Ochiai was not present. Upon visiting his residence, he resisted by striking the officers’ faces and was arrested on the spot for obstruction of official duties,” explained a reporter from a national newspaper.

A bloodied knife and other items were seized from Ochiai’s home, and the charge was upgraded to attempted murder.

On the day he was escorted from the detention center for prosecution, Ochiai initially appeared startled and hunched down upon seeing the waiting reporters, but he quickly changed demeanor. As he descended the stairs, he seemed to move toward the media.

He continued to shout threats like, “Don’t take pictures! You bastard!” as he got into the transport vehicle. It is rare for a suspect to behave so aggressively toward the media during prosecution. Crime journalist and former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective Taihei Ogawa commented:

“This was a crime committed in the heat of drunkenness, so it likely wasn’t premeditated. However, leaving the scene immediately and attacking police officers who came to question him shows that he is a very violent individual. Usually, someone aware of their actions might comply with officers or admit to the crime to seek leniency. Since he was arrested for obstruction of official duties, the chances of mitigating circumstances in court are very low. If a settlement with the victim isn’t reached, even a first-time offender could face imprisonment.”

The police have not disclosed Ochiai’s response regarding guilt or innocence.