In a scene that must be emulated around the world, two Japanese cops managed to subdue a knife-wielding suspect without the use of a gun.
Two police officers took down a man brandishing a knife in a major train station in Nagoya, Japan Saturday (July 10) without employing any lethal force.
Japanese netizens were quick to compare them to police overseas.
In a video that has gone viral in social media in Japan, a man was seen holding an 18-centimeter bladed instrument.
Worthy of emulation; two Japanese cops subdue knife-wielding man without using firearm captured from soranews24
His movements were unhurried but how he held the knife suggested he was planning to use it on someone.
Two police officers quickly arrived on the scene.
The male officer, armed with only his baton, put the man in a headlock and appeared to subdue his knife hand.
Meanwhile, the female officer pressed on the man with a clear plastic shield to prevent him from extending his arms to retaliate.
The man dropped the knife during the struggle and the officers pinned him to the floor.
Japanese netizens commented on the officer’s quick intervention and were grateful for their courage and service.
“I know they train for incidents like this, and it’s their job, but still, that takes a lot of guts.”
“They don’t use their guns for this? Japanese cops really have a lot of restraint.”
“Japanese police officers are very kind, much more so overseas ones.”
PNP Efforts
The Philippine National Police recently procured body-worn cameras, four years after it promised to make police operations transparent.
It was PNP’s response to calls for transparency after the death of Kian Delos Santos in 2017, who was killed by three policemen for his alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
The police said Delos Santos fought back but CCTV footage showed that he was manhandled, told to run, and shot at.
While Human Rights Watch approves of the use of body cams, they are also still waiting for the police to start procuring non-lethal weapons as one of the last wishes of former PNP chief General Archie Gamboa before his retirement.
"It’s high time that we start procuring non-lethal weapons," said Gamboa in August 2020.
He also said police should actively teach martial arts for its personnel as another way to give them an option of non-lethal confrontation with suspects.
Tags: #policeforce, #Japan, #nonviolentrestraint