Tokyo: 4 arrested for overturning truck during Halloween revelry

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested four men over an incident in which a mob damaged a truck during Halloween festivities in Shibuya Ward earlier this year, reports NHK (Dec. 5).

At around 1:00 a.m. on October 28, Shota Kojihara, a 20-year-old company employee, Rikuo Kokubun, a 20-year-old beautician and two employees in the construction industry, Yuta Kuroki, 27, and Takaaki Kawamura, 22, were among the members of the mob that overturned and jumped upon the light truck near the famous “Scramble Crossing” near JR Shibuya Station.

The four suspects have been accused of causing property damage and violating a law regarding physical violence. “I got excited on Halloween,” one of the suspects was quoted. Police are also planning to send papers to prosecutors on 11 other men.

The male driver of the truck was not injured in the incident, police said.

Revelers uploaded footage of the incident to social media. In addition to analyzing those clips, officers also examined footage from around 250 security cameras in the area.

A total of 15 men, aged between 17 and 37, were identified as the participants. Of the 15, five were foreigners, including persons from Britain and France. The acts of the four men arrested were deemed especially malicious, police said.

From the night of October 31 until the morning of November 1, police arrested 13 persons for a variety of crimes — including groping and assault — during similar Halloween festivities that took place near the station.