Nine referred to prosecutors over detainee with chronic illnesses death at Japan police station

From Kyodo

December 1 2023

NAGOYA – Police sent prosecutors investigative papers Friday on eight current and one retired police officer in central Japan over alleged inappropriate treatment that led to the death of a detained man suffering from chronic diseases late last year.

The allegations the nine face include professional negligence resulting in the death of the 43-year-old man who was being held in a cell at the Okazaki police station in Aichi Prefecture. The man was battling schizophrenia and diabetes and died of kidney failure but is suspected of not receiving adequate medical care.

The Aichi prefectural police apologized at a press conference for causing the “grave consequence” and offered condolences to the man’s family. A total of 27 people were punished over the case.

Okazaki police station chief Hiroshi Shimazaki escaped criminal liability but resigned Friday. The prefectural police penalized the 60-year-old with a three-month pay cut for not making rounds to the holding cells the entire time the man was detained.

The man was arrested on Nov. 25 last year for allegedly obstructing official duties. He died on Dec. 4.

The man had been placed in solitary confinement as a result of violent behavior, and restraining devices were used on him for more than 130 hours.

Security camera footage also showed the man apparently being kicked, and the case was referred to prosecutors for assault by police officials.

The prefectural police believe the assault is unlikely to have any causal connection to the man’s death.