U.S. Forces Japan have admitted to making a “mistake” after aggressively detaining an American citizen who was on a business trip in Japan. Footage showing an officer aggressively slamming Kareem El into the pavement has since gone viral online.
The footage shows El standing on the sidewalk as a uniformed officer grabs him from behind and proceeds to lift him up and then slam him into the ground. They then detained him despite El having done nothing wrong. He also sustained some nasty injuries to his face and body due to the aggressive way in which he was apprehended.
What happened?
Speaking to CNN, Kareem El claimed that, prior to his arrest, military police demanded his I.D. He refused, “which he’s legally allowed to do so as a civilian,” which quickly led to the situation escalating. El describes the traumatizing experience, saying he was expecting to have “a really peaceful time,” only to find himself in a struggle for his own life.
Kareem El, a civilian from Washington, D.C., visiting Okinawa, was held by U.S. military police for declining to provide identification.
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 11, 2025
Now the military says El’s detention was “a mistake.” https://t.co/eIiddtyC4m pic.twitter.com/CqTocuUSRC
To make matters even more embarrassing for the U.S. forces, it turns out Kareem El was also a former Marine Captain himself, he once served in Okinawa and was even awarded a Purple Heart. He claims he was targeted by the officers, “It’s pretty clear that I was minding my business when they kind of singled me out and I do feel like that was targeted just based on how I looked.”
The response to Kareem El
The suggestion that El was targeted because of his race was denied. In an email to Stars and Stripes, USFJ spokesman Col. John Severns wrote that “it is clear that the detention of Mr. El was a mistake on the part of the patrol, who approached him solely because they believed he was a U.S. servicemember.”
Despite this statement, many online have criticized the USFJ for using excessive force when El had done nothing wrong. Some accused the military of “making up the law as they go along.” Others questioned what powers U.S. military officers had in Japan.
USFJ has been conducting joint patrols in Okinawa to prevent members of the military drinking off base between 1am and 5am. This comes after a series of sexual assault were brought up in December of 2023.
Clearly Kareem El deserves much more than an apology. His attorney, Lee Merritt claimed he had received injuries to his head, body, and wrist, as well as “significant psychological trauma.” Merritt’s office is now exploring civil claims against the individual officers and the military.
