Soldier prime suspect in Okinawa hit-and-run

[unhappycamper]

Soldier prime suspect in Okinawa hit-and-run
By Malcolm Foster - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Nov 19, 2009 7:41:17 EST

TOKYO — Japanese police identified an American soldier Thursday as the prime suspect in a fatal-hit-and-run accident on the southern island of Okinawa and asked the U.S. Army to bring him in for further questioning.

The incident comes amid strains in U.S.-Japan relations as Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reviews the American military presence in the country. Some members of his administration have suggested they would like to see some U.S. bases moved off Okinawa, where more than half the 47,000 U.S. troops in Japan are based.

Many residents there have complained about noise, pollution and crime tied to U.S. troops.

Investigators have linked the soldier to a Nov. 7 accident in which a 66-year-old man was hit by a car and killed, said Okinawa police spokesman Takashi Shiradou. Investigators say the soldier raised suspicions when he took his military-registered car, which had dents and blood stains, to a repair shop. Samples collected from the car matched those of the victim.

"We have obtained enough evidence to make the soldier the prime suspect," Shiradou said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/ap_okinawa_hitnrun_111909/