OSAKA -- A 57-yeara-old man who had been arrested on Nov. 5 on suspicion of assault died the same night after temporary restraint at a police station here, Osaka Prefectural Police announced the following day.

According to the prefectural police's detention management division, the suspect was placed in a protection room at Fukushima Police Station in Osaka's Fukushima Ward with restraint devices on his hands and feet shortly after 5:50 p.m. on Nov. 5 because he had become violent during the detention procedure. The devices were removed 3 minutes later because his breath shortened. He was then examined at a hospital, but no physical problems were found.

After returning from the hospital, the man became violent again, so he was once more placed in the protection room with the restraint devices on shortly past 8 p.m. Six minutes later, an officer on watch noticed that he was limp with his face in the toilet. He was transported to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead shortly afterward.

While the man had complained of a preexisting condition of high blood pressure, no physical problems were reportedly observed. An official at the detention management division said, "We believe there was no particular problem in handling the situation, but the causal relationship between the use of the restraint devices and his death is unknown."

Police will conduct an autopsy to identify the cause of his death and investigate the circumstances in detail.

(Japanese original by Atsuko Nakata, Osaka City News Department)