Two Americans acquitted of assault charges in Copenhagen taxi dispute

Two young American men have been acquitted of charges related to an altercation with a taxi driver in Copenhagen, concluding a legal process that saw them detained for over three weeks and waiting for a verdict for nearly 14 months. The incident occurred in March of last year.

The Americans, aged 19 and 21 at the time, were arrested following a complaint by a taxi driver from the company Drivr. The driver alleged that the men attempted to leave without paying their fare. He claimed he pursued them and was subsequently assaulted, suffering injuries to his nose and mouth.

Court proceedings were initially held behind closed doors to facilitate the police investigation. However, details of the Americans' version of events emerged through U.S. media. Their lawyer stated that the younger man claimed they had entered incorrect information into the ride-hailing app, and the driver refused to take them to their intended destination. This disagreement reportedly escalated into a physical altercation, which the lawyer asserted was initiated by the driver.

The court ultimately ruled that while one of the young men did use force against the driver, it was deemed to be in self-defense. The court accepted that the driver had acted aggressively. The defense attorneys highlighted the significant personal and financial strain the prolonged legal battle had placed on their clients, who had voluntarily returned to Denmark for the trial.