Police Officer Guarding Abe Missed Suspect, Distracted By Someone Else
Police say one of the officers guarding former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was distracted by a passerby so he failed to notice the man suspected of killing Abe approaching him from behind.
One week has passed since Abe was shot dead. The shooting happened while he was making a stump speech in the western Japanese city of Nara on Friday.
The suspect, 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya, was arrested on the spot.
Investigators interrogating the suspect are also reviewing Abe's security arrangements at the time of the attack.
They say four police officers, including a special security officer dispatched from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, were on the watch near Abe.
One of them was in charge of security behind the former prime minister.
Investigators say immediately before the attack, this officer was distracted by a man pushing a cart crossing right behind Abe and failed to notice the suspect approaching Abe diagonally from behind.
Another police officer was on guard on the sidewalk where the suspect was originally standing. But as this officer was watching over the entire venue, he reportedly didn't see the suspect stepping onto the road.
The National Police Agency is working to identify any shortcomings in Abe's security arrangements, including insufficient security behind him. The agency plans to revise security measures for dignitaries based on the outcome of the review.