A Japanese man has died in northeastern Italy after being punched while trying to help another person being assaulted.
The city of Udine and local media said the Japanese was 56-year-old businessman Tominaga Shimpei.
The media reported that on Saturday Tominaga was asked for help by an injured man running away from a group, and that he tried to intervene in a scuffle between the two sides.
The media said Tominaga was struck in the face by a person in the group, fell down and hit his head on the ground. They said Tominaga fell into a coma and was hospitalized. The city and others said he died on Tuesday.
The media say Tominaga had long lived in the city and was in the business of exporting local specialty furniture to Japan.
Udine’s mayor said the death of Tominaga is a serious and painful wound to the city. He said those who knew Tominaga describe him as an esteemed and respected man who contributed to the city’s development and made his mark in the community.
The city announced it was in mourning on Wednesday to pay respects to his courage.
The media said police have detained multiple suspects and are continuing their investigation.