2 U.S. citizens detained for 2 weeks in Denmark after ‘scuffle’ with Uber driver

Two U.S. citizens were arrested and charged with assault in Denmark’s capital city last month following an altercation with an Uber driver, and after being detained for two weeks, the family of one of the men says he now cannot leave the country.

In a statement on Monday, the U.S. State Department said it is aware of the situation and is providing the citizens with consular assistance.

A spokesperson for the department said the citizens’ safety is a priority, and that no further comment would be given out of respect for their privacy.

The parents of one of the citizens identified their son, Owen Ray, as one of the people arrested in Copenhagen in March, saying in a statement on Monday that their son and a friend “were the victims of an unprovoked verbal and physical assault by an Uber driver.”

“They did nothing to instigate the attack,” Andy Ray and Sara Buchen-Ray said in the statement shared with NBC News.

Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On the night of March 31, Ray and a friend got an Uber to their hotel before realizing they had put in the wrong address, according to a Erin Pelon, a representative for Ray said Monday. Ray’s friend did not wish to be named, Pelon said.

“Once in the car, they realized they had inadvertently selected the wrong hotel, and were unable to change the location in the Uber app,” Pelon said. “The driver declined to take them to the alternate location, so Owen and his friend exited the Uber and they canceled the ride.”

Minutes later, the driver came back and began yelling at them, demanding to be paid, Pelon said. Ray and his friend told the driver that he would get paid through the application, and that’s when the driver exited the car and threatened them. Ray and his friend urged the driver to “call the police because they’d done nothing wrong,” Pelon said.

“The Uber driver then assaulted Owen,” Pelon said. “A scuffle ensued, culminating in the boys fleeing due to fear. This is all captured via the Uber’s dash cam video, which is now part of the legal proceedings in Denmark.”

Ray was later detained at the gate when he was about to board a flight.

Copenhagen Police said in a statement that the citizens were arrested on the same day and brought in front of a court where they were charged with common assault.

“They were sentenced to 10 days pre-trial detention,” police said. “This verdict has since extended until April 24.”

Ray was released from Vestre Prison on Tuesday, according to Pelon. In a statement, Ray’s parents said they were relieved about his release, but were “deeply concerned that Danish authorities have confiscated his passport and will not allow him to return to the United States.”

“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,” they said in the statement.

If convicted, the citizens can be fined, or imprisoned for up to three years, according to Section 244 of the Danish Criminal Code.