One of many People detained for almost two weeks in Denmark over an alleged assault in opposition to an Uber driver whereas visiting Copenhagen on their school spring break mentioned he was “shocked” that he and his pal have been arrested and maintained that they’re harmless.
“We have been each simply very shocked about the truth that we have been being arrested over this incident,” Owen Ray advised “Good Morning America” on Monday, hours after he and his pal have been freed. “We had performed nothing improper,” Ray added.
Ray, a 19-year-old finding out at Miami College in Ohio, and his unnamed pal have been detained at Copenhagen Airport on April 1 over an alleged dispute with an Uber driver the evening prior, Jordan Finfer, a U.S.-based legal professional for Ray’s household, advised ABC Information. Native police detained them whereas they have been heading residence after deeming them “flight dangers,” claiming they have been planning to run from the incident, he mentioned.
In an account relayed to Finfer, who then shared the main points with ABC Information, Ray mentioned he and his pal realized that they had entered the improper handle for his or her vacation spot — and the Uber driver allegedly refused to take them wherever else.
Ray mentioned they determined to cancel their Uber and left the automobile. Then, after they walked a couple of blocks, the Uber driver pulled up, bought out of the automobile and “began yelling at us, considering he hadn’t been paid for the Uber, however in truth, he had been paid for the Uber,” Ray mentioned.
“He then bought in our faces and was saying, ‘I am gonna name 10 guys,'” Ray mentioned.
“We mentioned, ‘We have performed nothing improper. We have performed nothing improper.’ He then began an altercation with us,” Ray mentioned.
Owen Ray speaks with “Good Morning America” from Denmark, April 14, 2025.
ABC Information
“The protection of everybody who makes use of the Uber app is a high precedence, and we take stories of violence very critically,” an Uber spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to ABC Information on Sunday. “Any further questions in regards to the investigation ought to be directed to the Danish police,” the assertion added.
Copenhagen police mentioned the 2 college students have been charged with frequent assault.
Following his arrest, Ray mentioned he thought he would be capable to clarify to a decide what occurred and be launched.
“However then we went to the decide, and we have been truly advised that we might be imprisoned in a Danish jail for 10 days,” he mentioned.
Ray mentioned he wasn’t capable of make a cellphone name for 36 hours after his arrest and did not know if his dad and mom even knew the place he was.
“I used to be initially very anxious about ensuring that I might get into contact,” he mentioned.
He mentioned he was capable of textual content his mom from a cellphone at court docket, and she or he ended up flying to Denmark.
“I used to be very relieved to have heard that she was ready to do this, and grateful that she was capable of,” Ray mentioned. “I am very grateful to my household and everybody else who’s been supporting me all through this example.”
Ray mentioned it additionally helped that he and his pal had one another whereas detained.
“We learn books, we performed playing cards, we performed chess and fortuitously we have been capable of get by it in a very good psychological state,” he mentioned.
Owen Ray traveled to Denmark for spring break in March 2025.
Ray Household
Their preliminary 10-day, pre-trial detention amid the investigation into the incident was subsequently prolonged till April 24, a Copenhagen police spokesperson advised ABC Information.
Ray mentioned his Danish legal professional filed an enchantment final week, and the decide dominated of their favor on Monday, releasing them.
The teenager mentioned Danish authorities have their passports and so they need to verify in with police each day till they get an replace on the case. He mentioned he believes they’re ready for both the investigating authorities to drop the case or for a trial date to be set.
Ray mentioned he and his pal are in a very good psychological state, and that he plans to take care of a constructive perspective in regards to the ordeal whereas hoping for it to be resolved quickly.
“I simply hope that Denmark and the authorized authorities listed below are capable of — and the U.S. authorities can assist us and do what they’ll to assist us be launched by Easter, so I will be residence with my household,” Ray mentioned.
“I feel one of the best case could be for the Danish police and the prosecutor to drop the case at this level, as a result of we’re utterly harmless, and for them to return us our passports and permit us to move again to the US,” he mentioned.
A U.S. State Division spokesperson mentioned in an announcement on Sunday that they’re “conscious of media stories of two U.S. residents detained in Denmark. Workers at our embassy in Copenhagen are offering consular help.”
“The Division has no larger precedence than the security and safety of U.S. residents overseas,” the assertion continued. “On account of privateness issues, we’ve got no additional remark.”
