‘We are the victims’: College student detained in Denmark after Uber brawl breaks silence

Two college students are still stuck in Denmark after they got into a physical spat with an Uber driver while on vacation over spring break.

Owen Ray, a 19-year-old student at Miami University in Ohio, and another young man, were visiting friends in Copenhagen when the altercation took place. On April 1, a day after the fracas, police detained them at the airport as a “flight risk” moments before they were due to board a flight home to Chicago.

According to CBS News, they were released from custody on Monday afternoon, but their passports were seized, meaning they must remain in Denmark.

They are both alumni of St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago.

Ray is due to speak on Good Morning America on Tuesday. In a promotional clip for the piece, Ray says: “We were both just very shocked about the fact that we were being arrested over this incident. We had done nothing wrong. We were the, you know, victims of an attack.”

In a statement to ABC News, Copenhagen police said the boys were sentenced to 10 days pre-trial detention and that a verdict on the incident had been extended to April 24.

A family spokesperson released a statement on behalf of the parents to the network: "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."

The two boys have now missed two weeks of college. Ray’s mother previously said she was concerned about the incident's ramifications in years to come.

Prior to their release, Ray’s family spokesperson shared a statement with The Independent.

"On the evening of March 31, 2025, Owen Ray and a friend were the victims of an unprovoked verbal and physical assault by an Uber driver in Denmark,” it read.

“They did nothing to instigate the attack. We urge the Danish authorities to recognize Owen's innocence and release him immediately. Our family is heartbroken, and we want our son home to celebrate Easter with us this week."

Ray’s U.S.-based attorney Jordan Finfer initially told ABC News the pair allegedly got into a dispute with the taxi driver the night before they were due to fly home, after one of the men input the wrong destination when requesting the ride. They claim the driver refused to bring them to the correct address, Finfer says and then accused them of not paying.

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Finfer alleges that when all three men got out of the car during the dispute, the driver kicked Ray in the groin. Ray retaliated by pushing the driver, causing him to fall over, Finfer further claimed.

Ray’s mother Sara Buchen-Ray described her son’s version of events to NewsNation: “He [the driver] threatened he was going to call 10 guys in and take care of them. At that point, my son yelled again, ‘We’ve done nothing wrong; please call the police.”

“And he kicked Owen in between the legs,” she continued. “Owen went down. The other child knocked him down, and they ran away. They were scared.”

The Independent has learned that the driver reported the two boys and claimed that they “started fighting in the back of the car” before going on to assault him after the trip ended. This is when the driver reportedly phoned the police. He also claimed they failed to pay for the ride.

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Uber confirmed to The Independent that the trip was paid for.

On Monday, an Uber spokesperson said: “The safety of everyone who uses the Uber app is a top priority, and we take reports of violence very seriously.

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“The driver reported to Uber that he was assaulted by two riders who were later arrested by Danish police. Any additional questions about the investigation should be directed to the Danish police.”

The U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs confirmed they were aware of the incident and that U.S. embassy staff in Copenhagen were providing consular assistance.