WAKAYAMA, Japan (HRNW) — As soon as Tsutomu Konishi noticed an object that flew over his head and landed near Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a campaign event at this fishing port, he and a group of other fishermen swarmed the man who officials later identified as a suspect in the attack.
As a security officer covered the object with a bullet proof briefcase, one of the fishermen grabbed the man’s neck from behind, another pushed his head down, and Konishi latched onto his leg. They were holding the man as police officers pulled him to the ground.
A few moments later Saturday there was an explosion, the crowd fleeing in panic as officers dragged away the suspect, a man wearing a silver backpack.
The team effort by the fishermen in this close-knit community has created a buzz on Japan’s social media, prompting many to wonder if they were plainclothes police officers.
Senior members of the fishing community say they and police had fully prepared to welcome the prime minister on his first visit to the area, but there has been criticism by some who say that safety measures could have been tighter, especially after the national debate that followed the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe last July.