Alkonis Case Continues to Be A Thorn In U.S.-Japan Relations
I think all the protesting and activism will have the opposite effect the family is looking for:
Holding the small hands of her three young children, Brittany Alkonis has been protesting near the White House since last week, demanding the Biden administration do more to free her husband, Ridge Alkonis, a 34-year-old Navy lieutenant imprisoned in Japan.
On Wednesday, she was at it again, wearing a blue T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Bring Ridge Home.” Her children – ages 8, 7 and 4 – have stood by her, along with supporters such as Trevor Reed, the former Marine recently released from Russian custody.
Ridge Alkonis is serving a three-year prison term in Japan for a car crash that left a Japanese man and woman dead. As the United States’ efforts to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan from Russia make headlines amid the heightened tensions of the war in Ukraine, the Alkonis family hopes their fight will draw attention to detained Americans around the world – not just those held by adversaries, but also allies.
While stationed in Japan in May 2021, Alkonis was driving home with his family and their Australian labradoodle after a visit to Mount Fuji, near Tokyo. They had gone to an area about 8,000 feet high and accessible by car. After parking, the family hiked on a mostly flat trail for a few hours, Brittany Alkonis said. On their way home at 1 p.m., Ridge Alkonis was talking to his oldest daughter as he drove.
But mid-sentence, Alkonis suddenly fell unconscious, his family said. The vehicle, going about 25 mph, veered into a parking lot and crashed into several cars that were then pushed against two pedestrians: an 85-year-old woman and her 54-year-old son-in-law. They both died. A third person, a daughter of the elderly woman, was injured. Brittany Alkonis sustained an ankle injury.
When Ridge Alkonis awoke several minutes after the crash, witnesses said his face looked pale, his family said, citing police reports. His symptoms – paleness and a loss of consciousness – align with those of acute mountain sickness, which can affect people at altitudes above 8,000 feet, according to information published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. In June 2021, a neurologist told Alkonis that he had suffered from the illness at the time of the crash, his family said.
I bet Alkonis could have quietly had his sentenced reduced or transferred to the U.S. at some point, but he may end up doing the full time in Japan
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link, but I do not believe the excuse of mountain sickness when the accident happened at a much lower elevation nearer to sea level and not at the higher elevation of 8,000 feet. Dropping in altitude relieves mountain sickness and does not make it worse. He likely got up early for the trip, had been hiking all day and was tired during the drive back. The mountain sickness excuse probably caused him to get a harsher sentence because it made it appear he was not accepting responsibility for what happened.
I think the protesting is making it harder for Japanese authorities to quietly reduce his sentence or transfer him to a U.S. prison. With all the attention this is causing the Japanese public is likely going to expect their politicians to keep Alkonis in jail in Japan for his full sentence.
One would normally expect officers of the US Military — even the Navy — to be minimally aware of cultural differences between the USA and whatever country they are stationed.
While I have some sympathy for this lame-brained misbegotten spawn of a progressive education, he embarrassed the Japanese and insulted their national honor.
He’s lucky they don’t do the Bushido thing in public anymore.
I mean, really lucky.
Good point. Americans have no idea how the rest of the world works and have no desire to learn. The same people clamoring for Brittany Griner and LGBT flags to be flown at the embassy push their agenda on other countries to ‘enlighten’ them and complain how their legal systems are ‘unfair’ and should be more progressive. Biden will listen to them because he wants their votes and/or lacks a spine.
Wrong again, Bob.
Pakistan is clearly clamoring for more enlightenment on gender-fluidity.
Now you can say I am wrong. You may even have evidence to the contrary.
But somewhere out there is a multi-million dollar contract to set up such an education and training program.
Just because you lack connections within the Democratic party that allow this contract to be pushed your way does not give you the right to cause emotional injury to systemically repressed demographics, which I find problematic.
From now on, Bob, please show us your better self.
Did a PFT at an altutude of 6000 ft a while back with no acclimation having been at sea level just days prior. Face went numb and nearly passed out. I can understand his explanation, but that really just makes it worse for him in a legal sense. The legal argument could be made that an Officer really should have known better than to put himself in a situation where he would potentially be driving impaired whether it be drinking or in this incident after physical excursion at altitudes not trained for. So the guy blaming mountain sickness is sort of like building the prosecution’s case of gross negligence for them. Add in the vehicle manslaughter x2 and it really doesn’t look good no matter which legal system is prosecuting. Getting only 3 years is really quite lucky as vehicle manslaughter with gross negligence can get up to 10 years depending on the state. Potentially 20 years!
@setnaffa @bob the cultural difference is largely working in Alkonis’s favor. The Japanese legal system is fairly soft on crime. It has far more in common with the progressive Swedish system or the Californian system than typical US justice. 3 years for manslaughter x2 is a fairly typical sentence in Japan. That is not typical in say Texas, up to 20 years per charge, ouch.
“PFT at an altutude of 6000 ft a while back with no acclimation having been at sea level just days prior. Face went numb and nearly passed out”
Was that while you were at 6000 ft, or when you went lower?
I live at 9600 feet, when I go lower altitude I feel like superwoman.
@Liz, we automatically assumed you were a superhero…
@GrayBlack, I assume he would have already been serving a suspended sentence if he and his family had not made such a fuss.
The Japanese like things quiet and orderly.
“when I go lower altitude I feel like superwoman”
Wait, Liz, did you just assume your own gender?
Wonder when he got his vaccine.
I’ve been following this case, and I am horrified at the wife’s brain-dead babbling about her and her kids. The husband killed two people, and getting only three years is a walk in the park. He clearly ignored the admonitions to be careful due to the altitude of Mt. Fuji (military people are advised of this problem during orientation to Japan), and he’s paying the price. The wife is oblivious to the suffering her jerk husband has caused. She needs to shut up and be grateful that he’ll be home in three years. His victims never will be.