OSAKA -- A 50-year-old occupant of a vehicle that traveled over 200 meters in Osaka Prefecture with a police officer on the hood after the officer tried to question him and the driver was arrested on Nov. 29 on suspicion of attempted murder.

Arrested was Masanori Matsuda, a resident of the city of Toyonaka. He is also accused of obstruction of public duties. Osaka Prefectural Police have not disclosed whether he has admitted to the allegations.

The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on Nov. 27. Two people were in the car at the time, and both fled the scene. Matsuda, believed to have been in the passenger seat, turned himself in at Toyonaka Police Station at around 3:30 p.m. two days later. The police are currently searching for the man who was driving the vehicle.

Matsuda stands accused of conspiring with the other man and attempting to kill a 33-year-old sergeant from Toyonaka Police Station's community division by accelerating their vehicle toward the officer in the parking lot of a convenience store in the city. The officer suffered scraped knees.

According to the prefectural police's first investigation division, they received a report about a possible DUI, and the sergeant who arrived at the scene tried to stop and question Matsuda and the other man. The car traveled approximately 220 meters with the officer on the hood. When the officer shouted, "Stop, or I'll shoot!" the pair stopped the vehicle before fleeing on foot.

(Japanese original by Yujiro Futamura, Osaka City News Department)