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Police in Tokyo have arrested a 39-year-old member of the Air Self-Defense Force on a charge of attempted murder after he pushed a man onto the train tracks at JR Okubo Station in Shinjuku Ward.
The incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The suspect, identified as Lt-Col Yoshiaki Tsuruta, was seen yelling "I'll kill you," before pushing a 44-year-old company employee off the platform, TBS reported.
According to police, before the incident took place, Tsuruta had been walking along the platform dodging other passengers when he suddenly bumped shoulders with the company employee. Witnesses said the two men got into an argument and that Tsuruta appeared to be intoxicated.
The victim, who was uninjured, managed to get back up onto the platform before a train arrived.
Police quoted Tsuruta as saying he has no memory of the event.
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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Magnus Roe
lol. Pressured at work with the looming invasion, soon-to-be Second Lieutenant Tsuruta?
shonanbb
Confine all defense force persononnel to bases.
HongoTAFEinmate
Not good this. The commissioned ranks are supposed to set a good example for the rank-and-file. This chap has just done his career.
sensei258
"I was drunk and don't remember anything, so that makes it okay"
Disillusioned
Hmm, drunk and doesn't remember. The japanese excuse flies again! However, from my experience, it takes two to make a fight.
StormR
Pheeeeeew safe, the old dont remember alibi will work, for a moment there we thought you knew pushing someone off the platform was wrong
AkashiAussie
It's no excuse, but why do people think it's strange for people to say they don't remember incidents like this in a country where you can drink as much as you want for hours on end, drink in public, and there's no responsible service of alcohol anywhere?
Cricky
So often the " I was drunk" excuse is used its a open joke. Pathetic juvenile behaviour excused by drinking. It's no excuse at all.
Jason Santana
No memory of the event? Of course he doesn't.
Mike Critchley
No memory. Never heard that before from a J-perp reported here lol
Mirai Hayashi
Of course he didn't. no memory = it didn't happen
BurakuminDes
It's scary to think this violent, drunkard attempted murderer was supposed to be defending this nation. If found guilty, I hope he cops 25.
smithinjapan
It's entirely possible the guy was drunk enough that he doesn't remember, but he was alert enough to GET that drunk, so there is no excuse. No doubt given that he's ASDF, though, he won't be charged with anything.
nigelboy
Read the first paragraph of the article.
Christopher Glen
"No memory" , lol. The typical Japanese forgiveness for drunken behaviour in play
Horenzo
"19-year-old arrested for pushing man off train platform " "ASDF member arrested for pushing man onto train tracks"
The new j weapon
oobeedoob
Why is pushing people on train tracks popular all of a sudden?? And why is that lt.col. out of his base?
jsyndrome
"Police quoted Tsuruta as saying he has no memory of the event."
selective amnesia
try that excuse in the US and see what happens.
oh I get it you can take them out of the country but, you cant take the country out of them
toshiko
39 years old Lt Col claimed no memory. ASDF will get rid of him after or before trial in criminal court. ASDF need people who have memory intact. ASDF have to keep other ASDF members safe. You never can tell when his memory is not intact, he might shoot his subordinates.
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