Essex sailor charged with car theft in Japan

[unhappycamper]

Essex sailor charged with car theft in Japan
Kyodo
Posted : Tuesday Feb 3, 2009 9:09:41 EST

NAGASAKI — Japanese prosecutors indicted on Tuesday a U.S. Navy seaman apprentice on a charge of stealing a car last December in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, that was involved a short time later in a hit-and-run incident in which a Japanese police officer was injured.

Brandon Jackson, a 21-year-old crew member on the amphibious assault ship Essex, was detained in line with the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement. The prosecutors said they will continue to investigate his possible link with the hit-and-run case.

In a statement, the U.S. Navy said it “has fully cooperated with Japanese authorities since this incident occurred” and that those who break Japanese laws are ” subject to our host nation’s legal system.”

According to the written indictment, Jackson allegedly stole a car in the city of Sasebo at around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 7, about 45 minutes before the hit-and-run incident occurred at a checkpoint.

At around 5:15 a.m., a police officer tried to open a door on the passenger side of a car for inspection, but the car suddenly backed up and drove off. The police officer sustained minor injuries when he was hit by the vehicle.


Rest of article at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_sailor_indicted_020309/%2e