Police fatally shoot man who wounded three in stabbing spree

KYOTO (Kyodo) A knife-wielding man was fatally shot by police who rushed to a Kyoto convenience store early Friday after the man assaulted a taxi driver, a salesclerk and a cop, police said.

The deceased, Masahide Sai, 42, who police believe lived in Kyoto's Yamashina Ward, was taken to a hospital in the city with a gunshot wound to his leg but died about an hour later. The injuries his three victims suffered are not life-threatening, according to police.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Friday, Sai slashed the back of a 67-year-old cabby who had just come out of a Seven-Eleven store in Yamashina Ward.

Sai then chased the taxi driver, who fled back into the store, police said. Sai then cut a 53-year-old male salesclerk in the face, they said.

About 10 minutes later, Sai stabbed a 44-year-old police officer who was searching for him, police said.

Several other officers arrived at the scene and warned Sai they would shoot him if he did not let go of the knife. But he lunged at them and one officer shot him in the left thigh before arresting him for attempted murder and obstructing justice, police said.

"According to the facts that we are aware of, we consider it was appropriate to use a gun," said Wataru Fukuda, a Yamashina Police Station official.