crime

American arrested for assaulting two people on train in Yokosuka

46 Comments

Police in Kanagawa Prefecture said Wednesday they have arrested a 33-year-old American man who assaulted two passengers on a train in Yokosuka.

According to police, the incident occurred inside a stopped train at Keihinkyuko Shioiri Station at around 11:30 p.m. on Jan 12. TV Asahi reported that the suspect, Darrell Raymond Sheppard, bashed a 29-year-old male passenger in the face causing several broken bones and requiring the victim to spend one month in hospital. After a 21-year-old American serviceman, who witnessed the attack, attempted to restrain Sheppard, he was pushed onto the platform and knocked down.

Police said Sheppard, who dropped his cell phone at the scene of the crime, was also on Interpol's wanted list for aggravated sexual assault in the United States and is likely to be extradited back to the U.S.

Police said they have begun an investigation into how and where Sheppard entered Japan.

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46 Comments
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If he was on Interpols wanted list, would his passport not be flagged? If it indeed it was flagged, how did he get through immigration??

17 ( +22 / -5 )

Just say you were drunk and don't remember anything, the standard line in Japan.

3 ( +17 / -14 )

It's a shame when you hear one of your fellow countrymen making trouble in another country. I'm glad there was another American who attempted to stop the assault.

36 ( +37 / -2 )

He sounds like a nasty piece of work.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

how did he get away for almost two months? and why didn't anyone try to help but an american serviceman?

4 ( +12 / -8 )

Before he is extradited to the US I hope he spends some serious time in a Japanese prison.

23 ( +23 / -0 )

Police said they have begun an investigation into how and where Sheppard entered Japan.

how and when did he enter Japan, country that is proud of finger print strict immigration laws?

4 ( +11 / -7 )

How can you enter any country without detection? Get onto a boat and land somewhere in the wilderness at the coast. Or get into a charter plane and land somewhere in the wilderness. Option one is of course easier.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

@richyvee hahaha "Help", oxymoron in Japan.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

I hate it when Americans here in Japan cause trouble like this. But good job for the other american who tried to stop him.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

So now the J-cops are going to spend countless man hours that could be put to better use,trying to figure out how someone got into the country?! Does it really make a difference at this point? And if this guy got in there is no telling WHO else might have gotten in!!!!!

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Well, so much for the heightened security measures at airports if this loser can get through with a flagged passport. Let's hope he faces Japanese law before he is extradited so the fella he bashed can get some compensation from this goon.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

how the hell was he able to get into Japan. Its jerkoffs like this that give foreigners a bad reputation.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Was he playing the knockout game?

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Well I am glad to know that this is not another story about an American servicemen behaving badly since there is a military base in Yokosuka. Kudos for trying to help out a local citizen especially when it was very late on train. It probably wasn't that many people around at that time of night to provide any assistance.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

This guy may have come to japan prior to him going on a wanted list in the states

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Good job of the 21-year-old serviceman for intervening

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Good on the man for trying to stop him, and those that finally did and took him in. How security is so lax that this guy got in and was here for two months is beyond me -- and rather scary when you think about it, now that IS has declared Japan a target for terrorism and all that. As for those saying they're ashamed an American did this or that he gives foreigners a bad rap, don't bother thinking that way. The guy was a nut, and being a nut is lot limited to any particular culture and EVERY DAY you hear about this kind of thing and worse being committed by others, but you don't condemn or take is as representative of all of that nation's people. Now hurry up and extradite the guy!

11 ( +13 / -2 )

how did he get through immigration??

Military flight?

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

When Americans cause trouble in Japan it reflects badly on those of us from other countries because, in my experience, some Japanese assume every Caucasian they see is an American and we get the dirty looks. Never hear about British, French, German or other Western Europeans or Aussies/Kiwis causing trouble.

-12 ( +9 / -21 )

If he was on Interpols wanted list, would his passport not be flagged? If it indeed it was flagged, how did he get through immigration??

There is information lacking on how and when he came into the country so it is possible that he came here prior to being placed on the list.

Next he should NOT be extradited to the US until AFTER any and all judgments and or jail time is completed here first.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I'm wondering what got him started. I guess people are always bumping into people in the train without saying "excuse me" (I'm not saying anything bad about it- if you said "sumimasen" all the time for that reason your vocal cords would blow out). It's the culture here that you have to respect. But this is one dude that was born with a miswired brain.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"Police said Sheppard, who dropped his cell phone at the scene of the crime, was also on Interpol’s wanted list for aggravated sexual assault in the United States and is likely to be extradited back to the U.S.

Police said they have begun an investigation into how and where Sheppard entered Japan."

I guess some heads at immigration are going to roll, er, I guess some knuckles at immigration are going to be rapped.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

If he was on Interpols wanted list, would his passport not be flagged? If it indeed it was flagged, how did he get through immigration??

Hey may have committed the crime then left soon after or was named a suspect later.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Darrell Raymond Sheppard not only acted savagely to those other two men, but also represented his native country dishonorably. As an American, I apologize for this man's savage behavior and hope that Japanese prisons are harsh enough to teach him a lesson.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

....he was teaching English to kids at Happy Happy Big Bear English school in Yokosuka....

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@gogogoFEB. 19, 2015 - 01:29PM JST Just say you were drunk and don't remember anything, the standard line in Japan

Mot so. He will be shipped back to USA. If you say you are drinking, you get added penalty. And dumped into a jail that will have roommate of violent ciminals and more likely beaaten up and if lucky, wind up in a jail hospital. Even in Japan, criminals will have same fate and it is not standard. You have dream. You have dream for Japanese vicious criminal tank.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

" The guy was a nut, and being a nut is lot limited to any particular culture and EVERY DAY you hear about this kind of thing and worse being committed by others, but you don't condemn or take is as representative of all of that nation's people".

Certainly you don't!!!

Unless he was Japanese, of course! In that case you certainly would.

Fact of the matter is, him being an American will in no doubt reflect (even if only slightly) on how the general populace perceives Americans in general; this rule applies throughout the world, so let's stop pretending it doesn't.

This geezer should be kept lock at the Emperor's pleasure and forced to eat fish heads and plain rice until the cows come home; and the eyes too.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

"Sheppard, . . . was also on Interpol’s wanted list for aggravated sexual assault in the United States" - article

How does one gain entry into Japan if they are on Interpol’s wanted list?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Who was the guy who tried to help.. Kudo's to him no mater were he votes.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So now the J-cops are going to spend countless man hours that could be put to better use,trying to figure out how someone got into the country?! Does it really make a difference at this point? And if this guy got in there is no telling WHO else might have gotten in!!!!!

Make up your mind. Either how he got in is not a concern, or there's justification to be concerned about how many people are getting in without detection.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

But surely the ultra sophisticated iris scanning and fingerprinting system at Narita would have detected such a miscreant entering Japanese territory.

No? Oh.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

CGB SpenderFEB. 19, 2015 - 03:35PM JST How can you enter any country without detection? Get onto a boat and land somewhere in the wilderness at the coast. Or get into a charter plane and land somewhere in the wilderness. Option one is of course easier

You watch too much television or read too much pulp fiction.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

and why didn't anyone try to help but an american serviceman?

He was a serviceman, not an ordinary person. This isn't a small detail.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

confirmation that passport control and fingerprinting is useless?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Darrell Raymond Sheppard not only acted savagely to those other two men, but also represented his native country dishonorably. As an American, I apologize for this man's savage behavior and hope that Japanese prisons are harsh enough to teach him a lesson.

NO, NO, NO, and NO again. This is ludicrous, there is no need for you to apologize for anything. There are nuts in all countries, and other American's pull crap all over the world, are you going to apologize for their actions as well?

The list is endless, it's as ludicrous as a Japanese teenager trying to apologize for Pearl Harbor (had it happen once).

You can apologize for YOUR actions, showing sympathy for the victims is right too, but here by apologizing you are in effect saying that as an American YOU are responsible too, and that my friend you are NOT.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ooh yeah, prob did come in on a military flight. Where there are no Japanese authorities to screen each individual.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

CGB Spender: How can you enter any country without detection? Get onto a boat and land somewhere in the wilderness at the coast. Or get into a charter plane and land somewhere in the wilderness. Option one is of course easier

Jeff Huffman: You watch too much television or read too much pulp fiction.

The Interpol doesn't list US fugitives on its public website. Note that Sheppard got out of the USA without being caught before he got into Japan without being caught. Maybe he has been in Japan for a while.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ooh yeah, prob did come in on a military flight. Where there are no Japanese authorities to screen each individual.

Not true. Even though there may not be any Japanese customs officials at the military controlled air terminals, the information that they receive from inbound passengers is turned over to the J-gov. Also, if this guy was a civilian worker, then an outstanding warrant would have been flagged when they did the background checks on him and he would not have been able to be hired.

One thing that they may have to look at was what was his total nationality. In other words, he could have been of mixed (American/Japanese) heritage. Even though one is supposed to choose by the age of 21, some may choose to keep their Japanese passports updated and he may have left the USA and entered Japan using that one.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I wonder how many times he will have slipped in the cell before he is turned over to American officials.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

When Americans cause trouble in Japan it reflects badly on those of us from other countries because, in my experience, some Japanese assume every Caucasian they see is an American and we get the dirty looks. Never hear about British, French, German or other Western Europeans or Aussies/Kiwis causing trouble.

Are you joking? The British and Aussies have caused plenty of trouble with their public drunkenness and are known for that behavior around the World.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If anything that guys behavior will reflect badly on African Americans. And if he indeed worked at an English school, maybe it's time for criminal background checks. I mean do you want an individual like that around your children?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Educator60: What? If I can view it I'm going to assume it is public. Specifying US nationality in the search for wanted persons page on the Interpol site brings up plenty of US citizens who are wanted by the U.S. authorities.

Sorry, when I tried yesterday it didn't show any listings when person or wanting-authority fields were set to USA. Maybe list was being updated, or I had some other filter criteria selected accidentally (such as leaving a blank space in Last Name after searching for 'Sheppard' didn't pan out).

Anyway, I see lots of listings now now.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I know this guy unfortunately. Just to be clear he wasn't in the military or affiliated with the military. I forget how long he had been here, but I know he had a kid with a Japanese woman last year. He's from New York and went by Mario. I know he was on roids, but I'll say this was a chu-hi related incident for people that know the area.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'll say this was a chu-hi related incident for people that know the area. @Maxudenki- Same here....would have never thought that about him. You never really know the people around you.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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