Copenhagen police recently provided an update regarding 19-year-old Owen Ray, an Ohio college student from Chicago, who was one of two individuals arrested and charged in connection with a dispute involving an Uber driver.
Ray’s parents reported that he was released from a Danish prison on Monday after being arrested while trying to fly home on April 1.
Despite his release, the family expressed frustration, as Danish authorities have confiscated his passport, preventing him from returning to the United States.
“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 Ray and Sara Buchen-Ray, Owen’s parents, said in a statement.
“However, we remain deeply concerned that Danish authorities have confiscated his passport and will not allow him to return to the United States – something we understand is unusual in Danish court proceedings.
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 confirmed that Ray was charged with “common assault” and sentenced to 10 days in pre-trial detention.
In a statement to NBC Chicago, the police department said, “The Copenhagen Police can confirm that on March 31, two American citizens were arrested in Copenhagen, and later the same day, they were brought before the court charged with common assault.
They were sentenced to 10 days pre-trial detention. They were released on Monday, but are required to report daily until the court hearing.”
According to a family spokesperson, Ray, who graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and is currently a student at Miami University in Ohio, was in Copenhagen for spring break with a friend on March 31.
The duo ordered an Uber to return to their hotel but realized upon entering the vehicle that they had selected the wrong hotel and could not modify the location in the app.
The driver refused to take them to the correct destination, prompting the students to exit the Uber and cancel their ride, incurring a “canceled fare” fee through the app, the spokesperson explained.
As they waited for another Uber, the original driver returned, alleging that the pair had not paid for the ride.
The students insisted that the payment was processed through the app, but a physical altercation ensued, leading to their fleeing the scene, according to the spokesperson.
The incident, including the altercation, was documented via the Uber driver’s dashcam video, which has now become part of the legal proceedings ongoing in Denmark.
As the students were preparing to depart the country for their flights home the following morning, both were arrested and taken into custody.
Ray was remanded to Vestre prison but was subsequently released on Monday.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed awareness of the media reports regarding two U.S. citizens detained in Denmark and stated that staff at the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen are providing consular assistance.
“The Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad,” the spokesperson noted in a statement.
Senator Dick Durbin’s office has communicated with both the family and the U.S. embassy in Denmark since becoming aware of the situation.
In response to the incident, Uber released a statement indicating that the company treats “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 company stated.
Uber also mentioned that the driver alleged the students had begun fighting in the backseat of the car and assaulted him after the trip concluded.
The company is currently cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
image source from：https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/copenhagen-police-give-update-after-chicago-student-among-2-arrested-in-uber-dispute/3723841/
