U.S. military police patrol the streets of Naha, the capital of Okinawa prefecture, on Nov. 1, 2025. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa ― Two Okinawa government officials urged caution amid a review of street patrols by U.S. military police in nightlife districts following a viral video of a U.S. civilian’s violent arrest.
Two videos totaling four minutes show what appears to be a U.S. military police officer body slamming a man in civilian clothes onto the sidewalk along Gate 2 Street in Okinawa city outside Kadena Air Base early on Nov. 23.
A patrol consisting only of U.S. military police stopped the civilian outside a bar in Okinawa city, according to U.S. Forces Japan spokesman Air Force Col. John Severns by email Wednesday. The civilian was not connected with the U.S. military, he said.
USFJ commander Air Force Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost ordered unilateral patrols by the U.S. military paused while an investigation of the incident takes place, Severns said.
In neighboring Chatan town, Mayor Masashi Toguchi told reporters Thursday that “mistaken detentions like this should never happen, and we strongly urge a careful response,” a town spokesman said by phone Friday.
The mayor said he would request that U.S. officials re-examine patrol procedures and respond with caution, he added.
Masahito Tamari, director of the Okinawa governor’s executive office, on Thursday said he wished to confirm the facts of the incident with the U.S. military.
Speaking at a special committee meeting of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, Tamari said the “effectiveness and necessity” of unilateral patrols by U.S. military police must be continually verified.
The videos were posted Sunday on a Facebook account that belongs to Garlic Sensations, a soul seafood truck in the Washington, D.C., area, and shared Tuesday by the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page. The post identifies the detained man as Kareem Farrakhan El, a former Marine captain and brother of the truck owner.
Military police began patrolling without the assistance of Japanese police in Okinawa city in September. The patrols were expanded to Naha city, the prefecture’s capital, and to Chatan town in November.
The U.S. military conducted solo patrols in Chatan for the first time on Nov. 22 and 23 to address concerns that increased patrols in Okinawa city might lead service members to move into other areas, the Chatan spokesman said.
Okinawa city has not received a report on the incident from the U.S. side and is still investigating, an Okinawa city spokesman said by phone Friday.
USFJ instituted the patrols to enforce an order prohibiting service members from drinking alcohol off base between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The order stemmed in part from a rash of sexual assault allegations that arose in December 2023 and have so far yielded two convictions.
Under the status of forces agreement between the U.S. and Japan, U.S. military authorities have “criminal and disciplinary” jurisdiction over the U.S. military population in Japan.
That authority does not extend to Japanese nationals or residents, unless they are members of the U.S. armed forces, according to the agreement.
AloJapan.com