A Japanese court sentenced a member of the U.S. Navy to 28 months in prison on Thursday, suspended for four years, for randomly attacking and injuring four people near Tokyo in July 2022.
The Yokosuka branch of the Yokohama District Court said Daniel Krieger, 31, charged into four passersby, aged in their 20s to 60s, on the night of July 9, 2022 in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Krieger, who is stationed at the U.S. naval base in the prefecture's Yokosuka, kicked two of the four, resulting in injuries including a facial fracture and cervical sprain, the ruling said.
His lawyers pleaded not guilty on his behalf, saying Krieger was under acute alcohol intoxication and in a state of delirium at the time of the incident. Prosecutors had demanded 30 months in prison.
© KYODO
17 Comments
Login to comment
Fighto!
No prison for violently attacking and causing serious injuries to four innocent people? Some in their 60s. Incredibly out of touch decision by the judge.
This piece of garbage Daniel Krieger will hopefully see some nasty karma heading his way. Worthless, violent human being.
TheRegulator
The pure joy of hosting foreign armed forces in your country.
deanzaZZR
There is a very easy solution to the continued violence and criminal activity of USA military personnel.
kurisupisu
Here’s me thinking that the American military was here to protect the Japanese.
I am obviously mistaken…
Fighto!
We know you dearly hope the US move out of Japan and Communist China move in. Not happening.
The real solution is for the US Military to completely overhaul their broken and pathetic recuitment system. They need to hire and send professional personnel, not psychopathic human refuse like Daniel Krieger.
MarkX
I wonder what the penalty would be if a tourist visiting Japan did the same thing? Would they be treated with kids gloves. Or just any other foreigner living and working in Japan. This is all because he is part of the US military! What kind of message does this send to all those on bases in Japan? It's ok to act like a animal but you won't be punished.
deanzaZZR
Yes to the first part, no to the second. Japan and China can live alongside one another in peace as they have for most of the 1,500 year history without outside meddlers.
USA military have raped, robbed and beaten Japanese from day 1 of the occupation. The LDP elites are happy to confine most of these crimes to Okinawa.
Desert Tortoise
For those complaining this guy will get a bad conduct discharge, which is the equivalent of a felony conviction in the US. He also still faces a civil lawsuit in Japan. =
JeffLee
I wonder if he was detained for 20 days while awaiting charges. The Japanese cops often punish people for these kinds of offenses this way. Less paperwork involved.
Dave Fair
TheRegulatorToday 06:55 am JST
you do understand what that comment entails don't you, that Japan stand on her own two feet and be fully capable of defending herself and all the complications of achieving that ability? I don't think anyone is disputing the fact that the US military has a few bad apples and that there needs to be actions taken, as does ANY military in the world as recruits happen to be on occasion, how should we say, not the best apples in the basket? And that isn't necessarily a bad thing as in war you want your most fierce and aggressive men facing off against the enemy!
So, here is the question then for you, is Japan better off scrapping the US-Japan status forces agreement and SIGNIFICANTLY increasing it's defense budget along with a big military personnel increase to compensate, and remember Japan has it's own bad apples with-in it's ranks, lets be honest.
Alan Harrison
There was probably an out of court monitary settlement paid to the victims, hence a suspended sentence.
Some dude
My (Japanese) wife often refers to Japan as アメリカの犬, and while I tell her that the UK is not so different in that regard, cases like this do seem to give credence to such a statement.
Yohan
Suspended sentence, and this incident happened 2 years ago. Not much happened to him what I would call to be punishment... very lenient sentence anyway.
Some dude
It seems like the US army and police have a bet going: who can hire the more effective thugs.
"Our guy beat up four Japanese while drunk! Yee-hah!"
"Huh. Our dude knelt on a guy's neck and killed him for having a false 20 dollar note. Beat that!"
"Oh, we're working on it"
Eastmann
truly US "hero"...
Wasabi
If the US army want to stay, they must pay the rent and keep to their base only.
Megan Thee Stallion
randomly attacking and injuring four people near Tokyo in July 2022.
WTH bro?