Posted on 10/27/2008 12:41:38 PM PDT by lizol
American soldiers beat up taxi driver in Sopot
27.10.2008
The Police from the Baltic city of Sopot are investigating the circumstances of an incident that occurred over the weekend in the resort.
A taxi driver has apparently been beaten up by a group of American soldiers. Reportedly, the men disagreed over the price of the taxi ride.
The taxi driver was taken to hospital, where he was examined and sent home. The suspects were interrogated and sent back to USS "Hewes" currently at the nearby port in Gdynia.
Further police proceedings may take place at the request of the victim.
Soldiers? on a ship?........
Since the dollar has gone up against the zloty, our boys probably wanted to pay more than the taxi meter showed.
On Friday 24 October 2008, at about 23:00 in front of the Grand Hotel in Sopot on the northern coast of Poland, some US-Americans beat up a taxi driver. It turned out that they are soldiers who recently arrived in Gdynia . They were detained by the military police.
According to Pawel, a colleague of the victim, a group of US-Americans wanted to enter a taxi to go from Sopot to Gdynia. They couldn’t communicate with the taxi driver, who didn’t speak any foreign languages. A struggle started.
The taxi driver was kicked and fell down. His head hit the ground. The soldiers then left the scene. Pawel arrived a moment later. Doctors helped the victim. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Gdynia, where he was diagnosed to have concussion.
Pawel said that the whole group of US-Americans was detained by military police from Gdynia. The officer in charge of the military police didn’t want to comment on the incident and sent us to the police.
The police claim that they haven’t received any requests related to the incident, so for them, the incident doesn’t exist, so they sent us to the military police.
It’s unofficially stated that the affair is to be hushed up in order not to upset polish-us-american relations.
The only organisation which admits that the beating took place is that where the victim works, but it itself does not know the details of the incident.
https://torun.indymedia.org/8602
Prison and dishonorable discharge for them.
That is if the Polish authorities don’t want to handle this themselves. If I were these guys I would hope that they do.
I remember when I was stationed in Germany that there were always a few scumbags like this that would ruin things for everyone else.
LOL! There is no USS Hewes. The last Hewes was a Knox-class frigate (FF-1078) in the 1960s. Thius article is BULLSHIT!
Wow. That sounds like a really big deal.
It's possibly the greatest human tragedy that has occurred in Poland in the last 100 years.
. . . or maybe it's anti-American propaganda?
Nah.
So multiple soldiers beat up a taxi driver and this is all the medical care required? Sorry, not buying it.
The U.S. navy frigate Hawes (FFG-53) is visiting Gdynia, Poland, from October 23-27 on a port call for crew liberty and recreation. The visit also provides the opportunity for valuable cross-deck training and exchanges with the crew of the Polish frigate Pulaski, an identical Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) class frigate that was transferred from the U.S. to the Polish navy. “The FFG-7 class frigates are highly capable ocean-going platforms,” said CDR Tom Williamson, naval attache at US Embassy Warsaw. “This is a great opportunity for U.S. and Polish navy crews to train together and share experiences about these ships which operate and deploy in both our navies.” To learn more about the capabilities and history of the USS Hawes, click here: http://navysite.de/ffg/FFG53.HTM
The "soldier" thing is most likely simply bad translation.
Yeah, this is bigger than the Nazis and the Soviet communists, combined!! A taxi driver with a slight concussion from a possible scuffle. Wow!!
If they face no consequences at all - that will definitely become an element of anti-American propaganda.
PING everyone to read the FReepers expressions of patriotism!
Now I’m not saying what they did was right...but when I was stationed in Europe the locals knew when we got paid. As young bucks and does a lot of us partied hard. Getting a taxi back to base they were always trying to rip us off...Just sayin”
In America we have institutions called "courts of law." Only if people are found guilty in these "courts of law" do they face punishment.
If the facts turn out to be different from what their accusers allege, they are not punished - no matter what any local muck-raking journalist would prefer.
And if a Pole did such a thing (no matter a soldier or a civilian) - the court of law would take care about him.
The thing is, that the frigate has already left Polish harbor, and Polish authorities couldn't do anything to investigate the case any further.
I'm really curious whether US military authorities will.
What the hell is a US-American? Sounds like a Euro-trash liberal attempt to launch 2 verbal attacks on the USA. Granted if the story is true, those Navy “soldiers” should be prosecuted.
It sounds like it’s a Commie KGB planted story.
I wish I had a nickel for every time GI’s got into a dispute with with the taxis or the Gastehause(insert umlauts) in the Federal Rep. of Germany.
Every Friday and Saturday night the polizei and the MPs would referee these disputes for as long as GI have been
in Europe.
I wish the sailors would behave themselves but then thats
like asking dogs not to bark or cats not to scratch the furniture.
Welcome to NATO, Poland.
If it really was U.S. marines, that taxi driver would have far more injuries than a simple concussion. Bet on it.
Hmmmm... it sounds like Jack Murtha has finally found his way to FR.
"IF" an investigation determines that formal charges are in order, and "IF" charges are in fact made against them, and "IF" they are tried, and "IF" they are convicted... then perhaps we can start discussing the penalty.
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