Police reported this week that in Sakai City, Osaka, last November a woman in her 40s died from a case of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a condition that occurs when oxygen is cut off from the brain.
A possible cause of the HIE is suspected to have been the 100-kilogram police officer who had sat on the woman’s back like one would on a pony.
According to police, at about 7 a.m. on Nov 9, Sakai Ward police received a 110 (Japan’s emergency number) call from a family complaining of a “disorderly woman.â€
The officer in question, who reportedly weighed 100 kgs with all of his equipment on, rushed to the scene with a group of fellow officers.
Sure enough, they found an out of control woman screaming and throwing things in front of her home. The officers attempted to subdue the woman for 20 minutes when finally they got her one the ground face down and held her arms and legs.
The large policeman assisted by sitting on the woman’s back. Soon after, she lost consciousness as a result of HIE. She was then taken to hospital where she died five days later.
Following the regular procedure, charges of “professional negligence resulting in the death of a suspect†were filed with prosecutors. An investigation is underway to determine whether the police used excessive force in this incident.
In defense of the accused police officer, there were no reports regarding his height or body fat percentage. We also don’t know if this woman was taking any medication or narcotics that could induce an HIE attack.
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