On Sunday May 12 Okinawa-based U.S. servicemen were involved in successive alcohol-related incidents. The Okinawa Police Station arrested Joseph Taylor Herd [phonetic], a 21-year old U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Foster, on the charge of damaging property. He allegedly broke the window of a car belonging to a female acquaintance. The same day, the police also arrested another U.S. military member, Lee Rockholt [phonetic], 36, stationed at the Kadena base, on the spot. He had allegedly violated the Road Traffic Act (refusing a breathalyzer test).

Around 4:35 a.m. on May 12, Herd allegedly broke with his fist the rear window of the car owned by a female acquaintance, 20, parked in the lot of an apartment house in the town of Chatan. The police reportedly detected alcohol on his breath.

Around 1:25 a.m. on the same day, the police noticed Rockholt was tailgating another car on a street of Chatan Town. The police stopped him for questioning. The police smelled alcohol on his breath and asked him to take a breathalyzer test but he refused.