An Osaka police officer arrested in January on suspicion of murdering his mistress has told investigators he impulsively choked her after she found out he was married, investigative sources said Friday.
The suspect, Takashi Mizuuchi, 26, worked for the Osaka Prefectural Police Department at Abeno Police Station. Mizuuchi allegedly told investigators he thought his career would be finished after the woman, Hikaru Shirata, 23, purportedly threatened to reveal their relationship to the police and his wife, the sources said.
The Osaka police fired Mizuuchi on Friday. The head of Abeno Police Station also apologized to the family of the woman, who was a social welfare counselor.
Mizuuchi allegedly killed Shirata by choking her with a belt at her condominium in the city of Osaka on the morning of Jan. 24.
Mizuuchi joined the Osaka police in April 2006 and was seconded to the Miyagi police force for a year starting April 2013 for duties related to the aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
During his time in Miyagi Prefecture, Mizuuchi became acquainted with Shirata, who was a college student in the prefecture at the time.
