Two U.S. citizens who were arrested and charged with assault in Denmark's capital city last month after an altercation with an Uber driver can leave the country after they were detained for two weeks, the family of one of the men said.
In a statement Monday, the State Department said it is aware of the situation and is providing the citizens with consular assistance.
A spokesperson for the department said that the citizens' safety is a priority but that no further comment would be given out of respect for their privacy.
Owen Ray’s parents identified him as one of the people arrested in Copenhagen in March, saying in a statement 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.
A spokesperson for Uber said it takes "reports of violence very seriously."
"The driver reported to Uber that he was assaulted by two riders who were later arrested by Danish police," the spokesperson said in a statement that directed additional questions to police.
On the night of March 31, Ray and a friend ordered an Uber ride to their hotel before they realized they had put in the wrong address, 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, demanding to be paid, Pelon said. Ray and his friend told the driver that he would get paid through the app, and that's when the driver exited the car and threatened them, Pelon said. 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 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 taken 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, Pelon said. 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.
If they are convicted, the citizens can be fined or imprisoned for up to three years, according to Section 244 of the Danish Criminal Code.
