Two university students in the United States traveling for spring were arrested and accused of assault on Copenhagen and remained in a Danish prison for two weeks after an alleged altercation with a Uber Driver.
Owen Ray, a 19 -year -old student at the University of Miami, and his unnamed friend were detained at Copenhagen Airport on April 1 for an alleged dispute with a Uber driver last night, Ray’s lawyer Jordan Finer told ABC News.
On Monday, Ray’s family said that his son and his friend were finally released from prison after being detained for two weeks, but Ray’s family claims that the Danish authorities took passports, so they must remain in Denmark.
« We are relieved that Owen has been released from a Danish prison after the assault without causing him and his friend suffered at the hands of a Uber driver on March 31, » said his parents, Andy Ray and Sara Buchan-ray, in a statement to the starting.
« The facts make it clear that Owen is the victim in this case and we ask Danish officials to allow him to return home in the United States without delay. »
Ray’s lawyer claims that Ray and an unnamed friend were in a Uber on March 31 when they realized that they had entered the wrong address of their destination in the application. The driver allegedly refused to take them anywhere else.
Ray, his friend and Uber driver got off the car and was when the alleged altercation took place, according to the lawyer, based on the Ray account of the events.
Finer told Ray that the driver kicked him out to the ingenuity and, in response, Ray moved him away and the driver fell. Finer said that Ray and his friend fled the driver.
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The two students were later arrested at Copenhagen Airport the day after the alleged altercation while trying to return home. Local Police felt that the couple « flight risk » and said they were planning to leave the incident, said Finer.
A Police spokesman for Copenhagen told several outlets that the two students were accused of common assault.
« They were sentenced to 10 days of arrest prior to the trial. This verdict has been expanded until April 24, » added the spokesman.
Ray’s parents said his son and his friend « did nothing to urge the attack. »
« We urge the Danish authorities to recognize Owen’s innocence and to free him immediately, » they said. « Our family is puzzled and we want our son at home to celebrate Easter with us this week. »
The United State Department said in a statement on Monday that it is aware of the situation and is providing citizens with consular assistance, as ABC Affiliated based in Chicago WLS.
A spokesman for the department told NBC News that citizens’ safety is a priority, but no comment would be given out of respect for their privacy.
On Monday, from Denmark, Ray I talked to Good day America He and his friend had been released with custody.
« I feel good. I’m glad that the high court has governed in our favor and allows us to be released from prison, » Ray said. « It feels good to be with my family. »
Remembering the incident on March 31, Ray said he walked « a few blocks » with his friend, and it was when Uber’s driver allegedly led him to look for them.
« He found us. Then he got out of the car and started shouting, thinking he had not been paid by Uber, but in fact Uber had paid him, » said Ray. « Then he put himself on his face and said, » I’m going to call 10 boys. « We said, » We didn’t do anything bad. «
Said a Uber spokesman Good day America that « the driver reported to Uber that he was assaulted by two riders. »
« We both were very impacted by being arrested by this incident, » said Ray. « We hadn’t done anything wrong. We were victims of an attack. »
Ray described the Danish prison conditions he was detained for for two weeks.
« We were two in a fairly small prison cell in the bunk beds. We spent 23 hours a day in the cell. We had an hour a day in the garden. It allowed us to make a telephone call a week, » said Ray.
Ray added that he is not « completely safe » about the current state of his legal case and stated that the Danish legal system « has not been completely clear about what is happening. »
« As far as I know for the moment, we still hope that the investigative police decide not to pursue the case or to set a test date, » he added.
Ray and his friend, who want to remain anonymous, must inform the police daily until their court hearing, which is scheduled for April 24.
& Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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