A U.S. soldier in Okinawa being held on a military base in connection with a fatal hit-and-run has refused to submit to questioning by Japanese police, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said Monday.
Local police have sought to interrogate the service member, reportedly belonging to the U.S. Army, at the military installation on a voluntary basis.
A lawyer representing the suspect said earlier that the client denied hitting and killing the victim.
Masakazu Hokama, a 66-year-old resident of Yomitan, was found dead Nov. 7 on a road in the village, bleeding from the head.