SEOUL — South Korean police are recommending Seoul prosecutors charge three U.S. soldiers with assaulting a local taxi driver in early November.
Police officials said Tuesday that the three soldiers — two from Camp Humphreys and one from Camp Stanley — admitted to assaulting the driver. Police said the recommendation will be forwarded by the end of the month to the prosecutors, who will make the decision whether to indict the troops.
Police have said the soldiers ran up about a $93 taxi fare early in the morning of Nov. 3. Instead of paying, the troops ditched the taxi, police said. The driver gave chase, and when he caught up with the U.S. troops, they beat and choked him, police said.
Police said people witnessing the attack called for help, and that the soldiers paid the fare before the police arrived. They detained two soldiers on the scene, a 22-year-old sergeant and a 27-year-old private first class, but the third soldier fled the scene.
One police officer suffered minor injuries when attempting to apprehend the soldiers.
Lt. Col. Brodrick Bailey, 8th Army spokesman, has confirmed an investigation was ongoing but has declined to identify the soldiers or state whether they had been placed on any sort of restriction.
