Two U.S. citizens have been detained in Denmark for two weeks after getting into a disagreement with an Uber Driver.
Owen Ray, a 19-year-old studying at Miami University of Ohio, and an unnamed friend were detained at Copenhagen Airport on April 1 based on events that took place during an Uber ride the night before, according to Jordan Finfer, Ray’s attorney. Both men have since been released from a Danish jail but remain in Denmark as they had to forfeit their passports.
On March 31, Ray and the friend got an Uber to their hotel before realizing they put in the wrong address, according to their account of events. The driver allegedly refused to take them to the new location, so Ray and the friend exited the car, which is when the “scuffle,” as a spokeswoman for Ray called it, occurred.
The driver followed them and began yelling, demanding they pay him, according to Ray’s representatives, who claimed the driver kicked Ray in the groin, causing him to push the driver away.
The next day at Copenhagen Airport, both men were detained when they tried to leave Denmark. They were deemed “flight risks” by local police.
“We are relieved that Owen has been released from a Danish prison following the unprovoked assault he and his friend suffered at the hands of an Uber driver on March 31,” Andy and Sara Buchen-Ray, the parents of Owen Ray, said in a statement to ABC News. “The facts make clear that Owen is the victim in this case, and we urge Danish officials to allow him to return home to the United States without delay.”
Copenhagen Police said in a statement that the two men were arrested on March 31 and brought in front of a court, where they were charged with common assault.
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“They were sentenced to 10 days pre-trial detention,” police said. “This verdict has since extended until April 24.”
Uber has said the driver gave them a different version of events, saying the driver claimed the two riders fought in the back of his car and assaulted him at the end of the trip.
State Department officials said they are aware of the report.
Two US students held in Denmark following ‘scuffle’ with Uber driver
