Girard incident
| Native name | ジラード事件 Jirādo jiken |
|---|---|
| Date | January 30, 1957 |
| Location | Sōmagahara Air Base, Soma, Gunma Prefecture, Japan |
| Type | Shooting of a Japanese civilian |
| Participants | William S. Girard, United States Army Specialist 3/C |
| Outcome |
|
| Casualties | |
| |
| Charges | Murder |
| Convictions | Manslaughter |
| Sentence | 3-year suspended sentence for Girard |
| Litigation | Wilson v. Girard |
The Girard incident (ジラード事件, Jirādo jiken) was the killing of Japanese civilian Naka Sakai by United States Army soldier William S. Girard in Soma, Gunma Prefecture on January 30, 1957. Sakai, a housewife who was collecting spent shell casings at a military base to sell for scrap, was killed when Girard shot an empty grenade cartridge at her, apparently for his own amusement. Sakai's death caused outrage from the Japanese public and the incident led to disputes between Japan and the U.S. Army over jurisdiction, resulting in the U.S. Supreme Court case Wilson v. Girard. Girard was demoted by the U.S. Army and received a three-year suspended sentence from Japanese authorities.