U.S. sailor gets suspended term over random attack of 4 near Tokyo

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.

The pure joy of hosting foreign armed forces in your country.

There is a very easy solution to the continued violence and criminal activity of USA military personnel.

Here’s me thinking that the American military was here to protect the Japanese.

I am obviously mistaken…

There is a very easy solution to the continued violence and criminal activity of USA military personnel.

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.

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.

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.

The real solution is for the US Military to completely overhaul their broken and pathetic recuitment system

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.

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. =

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.

TheRegulatorToday 06:55 am JST

The pure joy of hosting foreign armed forces in your country.

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.

There was probably an out of court monitary settlement paid to the victims, hence a suspended sentence.

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.

28 months in prison, suspended for four years, for randomly attacking and injuring four people near Tokyo in July 2022.

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.

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"

If the US army want to stay, they must pay the rent and keep to their base only.

I trust Japan's ability. One could take your opinion as very condescending towards the Japanese people.

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

WasabiToday 10:18 am JST

If the US army want to stay, they must pay the rent and keep to their base only.

Shouldn't the question be "If Japan wants the US military to stay,...?" If you are a farmer and have a wolf problem and decide to ask your neighbor who has a few extra guard dogs to come over and stay at your farm to protect your flock from the wolves, are you going to insist that your neighbor pay for their stay and upkeep?

Next question is how do you expect these US military personnel to "keep to their base only."? Have you ever been to a US military base in Japan and seen their size?

If the occupiers weren't there in a neutral-decent Japan, this need not have happened.

Krieger was under acute alcohol intoxication and in a state of delirium at the time of the incident.

Aka blind drunk - like thousands of people who are not violent when intoxicated.

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.

Astonishing indeed. Was there political pressure from the occupying force?

A suspended sentence when he was obviously guilty. The judge basically gave Japan the finger.

The real solution is for the US Military to completely overhaul their broken and pathetic recuitment system.

The military has always drawn from the bottom of the barrel. We fool them with talk of patriotism, pride and duty but then send them to die in pointless wars.

alcohol intoxication

A, well, repeat the magic words and no biggie.

As an ex-US Navy serviceman I cringe whenever I see these kind of headlines. I'd say that anti-social behavior like this resulting in injuries to local people deserve harsh punishment. A year at hard labor in Japan and then subsequent discharge might do the trick. In any case, the military needs to do more to protect the people they are suppose to be protecting.

A suspended sentence when he was obviously guilty. The judge basically gave Japan the finger.

Most likely the victims agreed on an out of court settlement for compensation and reduced sentence. Happens all the time with assault and battery cases.

What a scumbag. He deserves to be in prison for his wicked sadistic crimes before more innocents can be harmed when he gets drunk again, maybe next time he could escalate to murder

Being drunk is no excuse or no mitigating factor that should lead to a more lenient sentence. For any crime, ever.

There was probably an out of court monitary settlement paid to the victims, hence a suspended sentence.

No. He still faces a civil suit.

Being drunk is no excuse or no mitigating factor that should lead to a more lenient sentence. For any crime, ever.

According to other reports he suffered a brain injury in 2015 while on active duty trying to break up a fight.

He dishonored his service and himself.

He was allowed to dishonor his service by the 'court' decision??? reverse the logic, a normal non-occupier, drunk presumably fit and healthy knocks some old folks about??? ok, just give him two more years in primary school? would it be murder or manslaughter if the worse did happen, or a repatriation flight-flight.

Japanese get this kind of suspended sentence all the time but the guy should have had the book thrown at him. Even what the prosecutor suggested was light. Big Chicken Dinner is in order from the military.

Whatever the slap on the wrist sentence is, how about a dishonorable discharge and no veteran/service member's benefits once he's out? If he's not going to serve prison time then hit him where it hurts next his wallet and employment prospects.

A suspended sentence when he was obviously guilty..

He is guilty and has been sentenced, now if there is no criminal activity, no drugs, no violence and if first timer, than in most cases it is suspended sentence, but since this a violent crime resulting in major injury, there should be no suspended sentence but actual sentence.

His Japanese wife did abandon him at the beach and go home. So she bears some responsibility for not controlling her gaijin properly.

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

Look, I was in the Navy 20 years, I retired, I meet my wife in here, and I legally became a legal resident in Japan, you cannot judge a group of individuals only by the bad actions of some, even in Japan, you have normal decent people, but you also have the outlier's that commit crimes, this guy should been confined to the brig and then separated from the military and sent back to the U.S.

I lived in five different countries in my career, not once I got in trouble with the local authorities.

So please don't judge everyone who is or was in the military by the actions of some.

Deport this criminal, now!!

@ Blacklabel

I definitely agree.

Krieger was under acute alcohol intoxication and in a state of delirium...........Oh, so that is OK then, for a minute I thought he was under acute alcohol intoxication and in a state of delirium. No problem, no prison sentence, move on.