Fukuoka, the sixth largest city in Japan, is less than two hours by car from Sasebo Naval Base. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)
A U.S. service member from Sasebo Naval Base may face assault charges based on suspicion he hit a man with a mug over the weekend, according to a local news report and a police spokesman.
The U.S. service member struck a 19-year-old man across the head with a mug around 7:07 a.m. Saturday at a business in the Tenjin district of Fukuoka city, a Fukuoka Prefectural Police spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.
Police arrested the service member 35 minutes later, the spokesman said. Police declined to provide details about his rank and affiliation.
A local TV news report identified the man as a U.S. Navy sailor. Stars and Stripes is withholding the service member’s name until criminal charges are filed.
A spokesman for the naval base on Monday acknowledged that an individual affiliated with the base and under the jurisdiction of the status of forces agreement was involved in an incident in Fukuoka. SOFA outlines the rights and responsibilities of individuals in Japan with the U.S. military.
“The U.S Navy takes any infractions of host nation laws by its personnel seriously and is cooperating to the extent possible with Japanese authorities. We are unable to comment further at this time due to the ongoing investigation,” spokesman Aki Nichols told Stars and Stripes by email.
A report Saturday by Nagasaki Culture Telecasting, citing local police, said a “heavily drunk” sailor was asked to leave a bar by employees, who told him the place was closed.
The sailor left but immediately returned and with a mug from a table hit the man, according to the report.
The man was not injured, the police spokesman told Stars and Stripes.
Some Japanese government officials are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.
The police spokesman declined to say where the service member was being held.
