Serve and Protect: Police Give Lighter to Man Who Doused Himself in Kerosene

Japanese police appear helpful to a fault. Hifumi Kubota, 45, was arrested after he doused himself with kerosene. He refused to change his clothes and the Japanese police did not insist on the change. Instead, when he asked at the station, they gave him his only request: a lighter.

Kubota’s request for a cigarette and lighter should have been viewed as a bit out of the ordinary since the station is a no-smoking area. However, that was not a barrier to the police, who gave him the lighter– only to have Kubota finish the job and light himself on fire. He died later in a hospital from his burns.

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