crime

Heartbroken Kobe man stabs ex-girlfriend, three policemen

73 Comments

A man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend and three policemen near Kobe Gakuin University, following an apparent attempt at reconciliation that was rejected, police said Wednesday.

At around 3 p.m., the suspect, identified as Yoshiaki Izaki, 25, allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend, a 21-year-old Kobe Gakuin University student, in the lower abdomen, only a few minutes after she had called the police asking for help. Izaki also stabbed the three policemen who rushed to the crime scene. The woman and one of the policemen remained in a critical condition on Wednesday.

According to police, Izaki and the woman dated for approximately a year, but separated in March after graduation when Izaki moved to Saitama for work. He quit his job after a month, however, and told police that he returned to Kobe in an attempt to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend on several occasions, but was rejected.

The ex-girlfriend, whose name was not revealed, consulted police in April, after Izaki spent several nights waiting in front of her house. The man was warned to stay away from the woman and was asked to write an official declaration, stating that he would not approach her again. During the same month, he attempted to hang himself at the university’s restroom, police said.

“She called the engagement off in March after which I was so devastated that I quit my job. I wanted to see her and talk with her, but she refused,” Izaki was quoted by police as saying. “I thought the best thing would be to get put away for awhile, and that is why I stabbed the policemen too.”

Police said that Izaki had planned the crime beforehand as he bought two knives at a local shop several days ago. He used one of them to stab his ex-girlfriend and the policemen, while he kept the other in his bag.

© Compiled from news reports

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

73 Comments
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I hope the policeman and the girl recover. What part of ''NO" does this creep not understand? Whatever happened to ''plenty of other fish in the sea''?

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You'd figure that sheer numbers alone would've given the police the advantage but I've seen some really pathetic ojisan stationed at various koban around town.

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I'd imagine if the poor woman and cop end up dying, this awful creep will swing? In any case, it is for the best he is never released. Let's just hope they pull through. "Heartbroken"? More like homicidal maniac...

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Sounds like she made the right choice.

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Umm, that should teach the officers a lesson or two. I wish i could say more should get stabbed to teach them a lesson in breaking hearts and using people, but then u would end up with most of the popul in hospitals. Love is very serious so please people act responsibly!

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"I love you! I must kill you" kinda moment for that guy. Well, he'll certainly have some time to reflect on that cognitive dissonance for quite a while now.

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One knife, three guns... What do they say again about not bringing a knife to a gunfight? The guy is lucky to still be alive.

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Heartbroken? HEad broken, more like. What a child. He needs a poony boy, perhaps? Help him ride through the trauma.

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Come on Barney-san, pull the one bullit out of your pocket and shoot anyone trying to kill you or the people you are supposed to protect!

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You are right, OkinawaMike - he really should have been shot down - it would have potentially saved lives of the poor woman and cop. Or at the very least unleash a capsicum spray at the maniac's eyes...

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What? No "Stabby Summer" has began comments?

BurakuminDes, or hit him until he yells "Don't Tase Me Bro"!

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"Don't Tase Me Bro"!

lol!

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Good thing there are strict knife laws to prevent things like this.

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" I thought the best thing would be to get put away for awhile, and that is why I stabbed the policemen too. "

Brilliant plan. I think it worked.

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How can he murder and still see now? How can he murder and still have the response of the living?

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Ok... Stabby Summer has begun with a vengeance with a 4 for 1 event.

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Chill with him he doesn't deserve it

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Heartbroken??? How about insane?

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Nessie - you're right! If only she'd had a gun to protect herself, he would have had a gun to kill her, and this story might have contained multiple dead bodies! That's how it works in the States, after all.

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Am glad to see Saitama coming back again on JT

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GF sounds like she cheated on him, but most certainly did not deserve this. The guy was desperate for attention, wrong way of going about it all.

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Izaki also stabbed the three policemen who rushed to the crime scene. The woman and one of the policemen remained in a critical condition on Wednesday.

Everytime I see J-Cops, they have on vests. Didn't they wear them this time? Also, why don't they use tazers? I know they seem somewhat reluctant to use deadly force with guns, but 3 cops with guns and one lone lunatic, he really shouldn't be able to walk away from this.

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Definitely a mama's boy going crazy!

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Desperate people tends do extreme things. I think the police needs to start rent out 1-million volt stun guns for each case like this to prevent things from going horribly wrong.

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I will try this once again peacewarrior:

I sure pray someone's daughter isn't killed in the "line of duty" because someone close by refused to pull the trigger to prevent a "wrongful" killing.

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Amazing how many think that guns are a magic bullet. Oh, wait a minute, I see - if this lunatic had had access to guns, he would have shot himself earlier instead of failing to hang himself in a toilet, and all would be right with the world!

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goddog:

" Am glad to see Saitama coming back again on JT "

Kobe is in Saitama now?

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WilliB: "Kobe is in Saitama now?"

No, but he did go off to Saitama and get a letal dose of Saitama-fever, apparently. :)

Seriously, though, while I'm glad the police didn't go gung ho and on a shooting rampage, I wonder if they might not have at least done more to subdue the man before one of them was critically wounded. Anyway, he'll get his time in the klink, and I hope both the young woman and police officer pull through and suffer no problems after.

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I thought the best thing would be to get put away for awhile, and that is why I stabbed the policemen too.

No, you are a lunatic, a creep, a psycho, a maniac. I really hope the policemen and the girl recover properly.

No, but he did go off to Saitama and get a letal dose of Saitama-fever, apparently. :)

Haha....i am glad i have never been to Saitama. I think it is the best place to train Special Forces.

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So, if one guy stabbed three cops, how many cops were there? Was this guy a 200k monster wielding a 4 foot blade? Unlikely! - Damn! If you pull a knife on a cop in Oz you are shot dead - End of story! Gotta love the 'passive' police force in Japan. "Take one for the team!"

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"I thought the best thing would be to get put away for awhile"

Yeah, free food, a roof over your head, medical care, paid for by me and all the other taxpayers. Grrr!

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He must have been crazy about her.

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"Heartbroken Kobe Man..." er... what? MAN? No, he is not worthy to be called a man.

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I think the man had a really hard time but of course I don't think what he did was right. After the guy moved to a far place, away from his family and his girlfriend then his girlfriend calls off the engagement. After that, the girl didn't want to speak to him, called the police as if he were a criminal (eventhough they were seeing each other for a year) I think that kind of situation would drive anyone insane. Rejection is a very hard thing to accept.That was his stab in the gut even before he committed the crime I guess.

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"GF sounds like she cheated on him, but most certainly did not deserve this."

Wha-wha-what?!? How in the world could anyone have possibly drawn such a conclusion from the above story, particularly with the part clearly explaining that they broke up after this loon moved to a different prefecture for a job?

Odds are infinitely greater that they broke up because he was, well, creepy.

These stories always manage to shock me for two reasons - One, the sheer insanity it must take to try to kill someone you profess to love.

And two, the number of armchair Rambos here who seem to have all the answers when they pipe in with, "Shoot the bastard!!" when they've likely never experienced a shot fired at them in anger, much less possessed the courage to put on a police uniform and go toe-to-toe with someone intent on stabbing someone.

In so many ways that make the mind swim with shattered fantasies, it just plain ain't like the movies, folks.

Kudos to these officers who risked their lives to try and make a difference when other self-professed experts won't.

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"She called the engagement off in March after which I was so devastated that I quit my job. I wanted to see her and talk with her, but she refused,” Izaki was quoted by police as saying" The man was devasted because of that.

"Izaki spent several nights waiting in front of her house. The man was warned to stay away from the woman and was asked to write an official declaration, stating that he would not approach her again. During the same month, he attempted to hang himself at the university’s restroom, police said." Again, because of rejection and no closure in the relationship.

Again, I am not saying what the guy did was right, I think it was terrible. I am just saying that the guy was so devasted psychologically.

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Maybe she was attracted to someone that appeared very manly or protective - when it was directed at someone else of course. But letting it progress to the point of engagement was a serious error in judgement.

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Love = Madness, He was in love, therefore not in his right mind. She was not in love with him, Poor Guy snapped like a twig.

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You gotta love J-cops. Three of them armed with revolvers and batons against one nutjob with a knife and all three of them get stabbed? Seriously, what good are they? Just pathetic.

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Damn! If you pull a knife on a cop in Oz you are shot dead - End of story! Gotta love the 'passive' police force in Japan. "Take one for the team!"

OZ have got it right. This lunatic came to murder the young woman. He should be shot. He'll be back. You can count on it.

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The cops here only ever start to take it seriously after the woman ends up horribly murdered. You read about these cases time and time again.

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Don't these women have male relatives who can take a hammer to these creeps. You mostly only see the relatives on TV bawling and saying how lovely their sister/daughter was.

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Good lord! She** told the authorities, he told the authorities... what the hell more do the authorities need before they get around to protecting these people from each other and themselves? This could have been prevented.

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Cops need to carry guns, and to use them when the situation warrants.

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To stab people is not par for the course when having a romantic breakup.Mental illness is the cause of this.

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called the police as if he were a criminal (eventhough they were seeing each other for a year)

Right, maybe because ...

Izaki spent several nights waiting in front of her house.

Being in a relationship with someone does not give them license to stalk you. That you think it does is worrying.

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How the hell do three poilce officers mange to get stabbed by one guy!??

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After that, the girl didn't want to speak to him, called the police as if he were a criminal (eventhough they were seeing each other for a year) I think that kind of situation would drive anyone insane.

Uh, no. He obviously was disturbed before he even met her. Hanging out on someone door step for several nights is called stalking and that IS criminal behavior. She did the right thing by calling the police. Too bad they didn't do their job and protect her. What is an official declaration? How about a restraining order!

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Without knowing the exact circumstances of how events played out it's hard to say how they got stabbed, but to note, even cops in other countries get injured and killed too. It's not like cops are invincible beings anywhere in the world.

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It takes until he moves away and they are engaged for her to recognize his character that everyone feels free to judge from this story ? She seems equally passive and lame.

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peacewarrior@

What do they say again about not bringing a knife to a gunfight?

That sure seems a stretch. He didn't bring a knife to a gun fight: three guns showed up soon after a stabbing--the victim called the police, and we know the outcome there: knife two, guns zero. One must go to a firing range if one wants to hear a police gun going off in this society, unless, Godforbid, a bad guy gets hold of the "legal" firearm or worse yet it is left at a toilet in a convenience store. A cop with a gun here is as threatening as a fake surveillance camera.

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Without knowing the exact circumstances of how events played out it's hard to say how they got stabbed, but to note, even cops in other countries get injured and killed too. It's not like cops are invincible beings anywhere in the world.

True, but I have not heard of many getting stabbed all at once by one guy with a knife.

Well, she certainly won`t be second-guessing her decision to dump the creep. Definitely the right move.

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" It's not like cops are invincible beings anywhere in the world".

The ones who bring guns and use them in a knife fight are!

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Clearly this guy lost it and deserves jail time but it serves as a reminder to treat people well, even if it goes south.

Might a little care and tact at the disintegration of any relationship given this guy something else to strive for? He clearly had nothing to lose and was distraught over the breakup, never a healthy combo.

As another said, plenty of fish in the sea. Sea of Japan no less.

In a way it mirrors the recent 'talent' chick who took her life. I wonder if those reading this just read it as yet another bad news event, or do they see the lesson within it to try, even with people you no longer like, to respect their feelings while firmly but slowly backing away? For all of Japan's customs, courtesy is an art that is disappearing.

It might not have made a difference here (he did buy two knives) but in general having social skills also means being able to move on.

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He quit his job after a month, however, and told police that he returned to Kobe in an attempt to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend on several occasions, but was rejected.

He quit his job, despite how hard it is to get a job these days? Genius. Really? Who quits their job because some girl rejects them? And then he goes back and still gets rejected? Take a hint son and move one.

During the same month, he attempted to hang himself at the university’s restroom, police said.

How do you "attempt" to hang yourself? Either you do it or you don't. Man, this dude fails at everything!

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willynilly

A cop with a gun here is as threatening as a fake surveillance camera.

Amen to that, especially when an alarming number of them find some way to lose their guns or leave them places despite the guns being attached to them by a lanyard.

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Cops carrying guns in Japan is as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Had this guy tried this in the US, he'd have been shot on site!

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Got to love all the posters claiming that a gun is always superior and will win a fight.

Makes me wonder how many have true Combat/Martial Arts training and real-life experiences that they are basing their comments on.

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Makes me wonder how many have true Combat/Martial Arts training and real-life experiences that they are basing their comments on.

9

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@Disillusioned "So, if one guy stabbed three cops, how many cops were there? Was this guy a 200k monster wielding a 4 foot blade? Unlikely! - Damn! If you pull a knife on a cop in Oz you are shot dead - End of story! Gotta love the 'passive' police force in Japan. "Take one for the team!""

Ditto!

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Roppongi,

"If you pull a knife on a cop in Oz you are shot dead - End of story! Gotta love the 'passive' police force in Japan." But then having seen the cops in this country l reckon a strong wind would blow them over. They really do not inspire confidence in being able to enforce anything. To small to scrawny. You look at cops in the US, Australia a lot of them get there message accross just by their look, J cops well you just laugh at the sight of them

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Have to agree that reality is rarely (read:never) anything like what you see on television. Training and experience are the only things you can go by in any situation like this, after that it's all up to the individuals temperament. I watched a young sheriffs deputy unload 4 rounds at a deer thrashing in a ditch. The woman who hit it, standing by shrieking and sobbing the whole time, probably did little for his composure. After 4 clean misses, he allowed me to attempt it with my shotgun. 1st shot clean miss, 2nd shot head. Fortunately the deer wasn't wielding a knife.

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The cops here remind me of comedians "Kato-chan and Ken-chan"!

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Now if the woman had been allowed to legally have a gun in her home, she might well have managed to shoot this creep when he came at her with a knife, or he might have thought twice before trying this. Im all for the right to bear arms. I really hope she recovers, and manages to get this freak out of her life. She bears no culpability here, she realised he was not someone you want to be with and tried to escape from him. It was him who did not let her go. Unfortunately creeps like him do not have Creep tatooed across their forehead.

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I think the J-Police showed incredible bravery, tolerance, and patience in dealing with this domestic dispute to save both the woman's life AND the perpetrator's life. It's easy to say, "just shoot the perp!" but having to live with the weight of actually killing someone can be a terrible burden. In many asian societies, the spilling of blood can taint a family's name for generations to come - although I doubt this philosophy was running through the JCOPS minds.

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Now if the woman had been allowed to legally have a gun in her home, she might well have managed to shoot this creep when he came at her with a knife, or he might have thought twice before trying this.

Oh no, Japan doesn't need to go there. No guns is the only sensible policy. Look at death rates in the US due to too many people having guns. Scary.

I hope she is OK. The guy was obsessed and needed someone to snap him out of it. Maybe Caesar Milan could have helped.

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Now if the woman had been allowed to legally have a gun in her home, she might well have managed to shoot this creep when he came at her with a knife, or he might have thought twice before trying this. Im all for the right to bear arms.

And if guns were sold on every street corner the creep would likely have opted to shoot her instead of stab her, and the police officers being treated for stab wounds might be lying in the morgue with bullet wounds. Or the creep may have just flipped and gone on a shooting spree in his local station or shopping centre.

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Poor bastard. I mean seriously he attempts suicide and there's no mention of him getting even a free visit to a psychiatrist to get some meds. This kid was seriously mentally ill, and it seems like every cry for help was just systematically ignored.

The system failed this guy in a big way and now they'll probably throw him in jail, and with no further support or treatment he'll commit suicide inside a year. I somehow doubt that this incident merits the death penalty.

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is that love? ohh (love) look what have you done!!!!!

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I do not understand why guys snap and want a revenge after being rejected. Men seem more evil than women.

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Okay, this is unacceptable. Total lack of religion here. He never thought about his own soul. Would you sacrifice your soul for a chance at revenge? I don't think so.

This guy didn't have friends or family support. A friend would've told him to stay away from this woman. He didn't do himself any favors at all.

@worried Be happy the girl didn't have a gun. She might have blown him away a second time but that would cost her much more than it was worth. Now here's the part @worried you're not going to like.

I don't think this guy planned it. This article makes it seem as if he was not mentally sane or rational at the time of incident. You see where I'm going with this? If he has an excellent lawyer he'll get a slap on this wrist. The matter won't go away but yes, don't expect much.

Please understand @worried. It's the same argument that a woman is going to use as her plea. Which is fair. That is fair. It's equality.

Now reality. He probably won't have a great lawyer unless his parents are rich in which case he'll stand before the man with an advocate. We'll never hear about this kid again.

They're both kids by the way. Legally an adult yes, but by Japanese culture, very very inexperienced to relationships and dealing with emotions that might be painful.

I feel sorry for the guy. He doesn't konw that girls are simply selfish at times and there's no logic to it. He couldn't handle it unfortunately.

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