Japan's Court acquits officer in Chinese trainee slaying case

Japanese police officer Manabu Hirata [dtzbd.sznews.com]

The Japanese police officer who shot and killed a Chinese trainee seven years ago was found not guilty Tuesday by the Supreme Court of Japan, according to Japan's national TV station NHK, China News Service reported.

The incident happened in June 2006 when Japanese police office Manabu Hirata tried to arrest the then 38-year-old male Chinese trainee Luo Cheng for a suspected disrupting the public service during a patrol in Tochigi Prefecture. During the attempted arrest, Luo picked up a stone, and Hirata felt threatened and shot Luo in the stomach. Luo died later in hospital.

Japanese prosecutors initially decided not to sue Hirata but on the request of Luo's family members, Hirata was charged of committing a "special civil servant violence abuse homicide."

At the first trial in July 2006, the local court ruled that Hirata had acted in self-defense; however Luo's family members subsequently lodged an appeal to the Tokyo High Court.

In April 2011, the Tokyo High Court found Hirata guilty on the grounds that he had failed to fire a warning shot before firing the fatal shot. The ruling meant that the local government had to pay the victim's family 10 million yen (US$100,433) in compensation. The same court later reversed its previous guilty verdict, acquitting Hirata.

The victim's family then lodged their appeal with the Supreme Court of Japan, which upheld the original not guilty verdict.

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