Ammon – Tokyo police arrested a taxi driver on suspicion of intentionally running over a flock of pigeons on the ground, killing one of them.
A police spokesman told Agence France-Presse that the suspect, Atsushi Ozawa (50 years old), used his car to kill a pigeon, and was arrested on Sunday for “violating wildlife protection laws.”
The suspect explained that he hit the birds because “it is up to the pigeons to avoid cars,” according to local media.
The law in Japan prohibits hunting wild pigeons in urban areas, unless they pose a proven nuisance such as causing damage to crops or livestock, and only with the approval of the authorities.
The taxi driver allegedly sped out of a traffic light after it turned green, and collided with the birds that were on the ground at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour, according to Japanese media.
A passerby reported the alleged accident to the police after he noticed the sound of the taxi’s engine as it accelerated.
A veterinarian conducted an examination of the pigeon’s body and determined the cause of death to be “shock.”
Given his job as a professional driver, police described his behavior as “extremely malicious,” a consideration that prompted them to arrest him, Fuji TV reported.
“Sky News”
