Helsinki police responded to a call about an erratically behaving man in the quiet island neighbourhoods of Lauttasaari and Kuusisaari early Friday morning. The man is suspected of barging onto the grounds of the Japanese ambassador’s official residence and scuffling with an embassy staff member.
Police received an alarm shortly after 3 am Friday via the emergency centre. Someone from the South African Embassy had called to report a disruptive man in the Lauttasaari area.
Officers found a man using a vehicle near the Japanese ambassador’s home in the upscale Kuusisaari district, some seven kilometres from Lauttasaari.
"Serious threat to life and limb"
A guard working in the area had encountered the man outside the residence. He was described as behaving erratically and trying to enter the residence. As the situation developed, the man came to blows with an embassy employee.
The guard asked police to help and let them into the embassy-owned property. Police decided there was a serious threat of danger to life and limb and took the intruder into custody.
According to a police statement, the suspect is “a police individual", so the matter has been handed over for an internal police investigation. The man is suspected of aggravated disturbance of the peace, vandalism and assault.