Family members have issued a statement after a Chicago student was released from a Denmark prison following a dispute with an Uber driver, but still is not permitted to leave the country.
The parents of Owen Ray, a Chicago student who attends Miami University in Ohio, said he was released from prison in Denmark after he was arrested while attempting to fly home on April 1.
Ray was arrested after an incident involving an Uber driver in Copenhagen on March 31. He tried to fly home, but was arrested on April 1 by Danish authorities.
His family said that Ray’s passport has been confiscated, and that Danish authorities will not allow him to leave the country.
Here is their full statement:
"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. 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.”
According to a family spokesperson, Ray was traveling for spring break with a friend when they ordered an Uber to return to their hotel on March 31. The spokesperson said that the pair realized they had selected the wrong hotel and were unable to change the location in the app. The driver declined to take them to the new location and the pair exited the Uber and canceled their ride, paying a “canceled fare” fee on the app, according to the spokesperson.
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As they waited for another Uber to pick them up, the original driver returned and the students said the driver alleged he was not paid. The pair said they had paid in the app, but a physical altercation ensued and the two fled the scene, the spokesperson said.
The family alleged that the driver assaulted the two students, but an Uber spokesperson told NBC Chicago the driver had reported he was the one assaulted during the altercation.
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The encounter and subsequent altercation were captured on the Uber driver's dashcam video, "which is now part of the legal proceedings in Denmark," according to the Ray family spokesperson.
Attorney Stephen Komie told NBC Chicago that the likely reason Ray’s passport was seized was that Danish authorities could be concerned that he wouldn’t return in the event charges are filed in the case.
“They’re considered high risk for leaving the country and not coming back,” he said. “The Danish system has no bail.”
The State Department says through a spokesperson they are providing consular assistance in the matter, while Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s office says it is in regular communication with Ray’s family.
Komie said that travelers abroad have to be cognizant of foreign laws, and that the pulling of a passport is something that can happen in these types of situations.
“It’s a great idea to travel, but you have to remember you are a guest in their country. If you get into trouble in that country, the law is not the same as it is in the U.S.,” he said.
