NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) A U.S. Army sergeant suspected of being involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Okinawa has claimed the investigation by Japanese police is not being carried out fairly, his lawyer said Tuesday.
The 27-year-old staff sergeant at the Torii communications station in Yomitan has also refused to face Japanese investigators unless a video recording of the interrogation is permitted, his lawyer, Toshimitsu Takaesu, said.
The U.S. Army has detained the serviceman in connection with the alleged hit-and-run Nov. 7 that left Masakazu Hokama, 66, dead. The suspect has been questioned by Okinawa police on a voluntary basis since Nov. 11.
The staff sergeant, whose name has not been released, was also quoted as telling the investigators that he is a medic with the knowledge and skill to save lives, and he would not flee if he hit someone, according to a source close to the case.
According to Takaesu, the sergeant told him he returned to his apartment in Yomitan in the early morning of Nov. 7. After waking up, he noticed the windshield of his car was broken and bloodstained, so he brought the vehicle to a repair shop.