A 25-year-old man in Japan has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly throwing his two young daughters from the balcony of a sixth-floor apartment during a standoff with police.
The incident happened in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, in the early hours of September 26.
According to Japanese broadcaster CBC, police received a report at around 11.30pm on September 25 after the man’s wife allegedly told officers that her husband had grabbed her arm during an argument.
Police went to the apartment to investigate, but the man, identified as 25-year-old part-time worker Tomokazu Miura, reportedly refused to cooperate and locked himself inside the sixth-floor unit, leading to a standoff.
Police subsequently deployed additional officers and, as a precaution, placed protective mats on the ground below the apartment in case the situation escalated.
At around 4.20am, officers decided to force their way into the apartment. At that moment, Miura allegedly took his four-year-old daughter and one-year-old daughter to the balcony and threw both children from the sixth floor.
The police preparations proved crucial, as the two children landed on the protective mats. Both reportedly remained conscious when they were taken to hospital and are receiving further medical treatment.
Miura was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder.
Police said the suspect has so far remained silent during questioning and has not provided further details about the incident.
