An American soldier was in stable condition Sunday after being shot by South Korean authorities during a late-night car chase, police said Sunday.
According to Seoul’s Yongsan Police Station, police received calls shortly before midnight Saturday that two American soldiers, including the injured, were threatening civilians with an air gun in the district of Itaewon.
The two U.S. soldiers were approached by Seoul police near Itaewon Station, but they refused to identify themselves and fled in a vehicle, leading to the car chase through the capital city.
Police fired off a warning shot and three rounds of bullets, and the incident ended when the car’s driver was hit by one of them. The soldier, only identified by his rank of private first class, was sent to a U.S. military hospital in Seoul, according to officers.
In the process of fleeing, the servicemen damaged other cars, prompting officers from other stations to rush to the scene.
Police said they have secured the soldiers’ vehicle license plate number and summoned them for questioning.
“So far, no one has been reported shot by the American soldiers and an investigation is currently under way,” an officer at Yongsan Police Station said, asking for customary anonymity. “Although one soldier is currently under treatment, we will proceed with the probe soon.”
The Eighth Army Public Affairs Office said initial results did not show alcohol was involved in the incident, but it did not elaborate on further details.
“Although the details of this incident are unclear, we take all incidents involving U.S. service members in the local community very seriously and will work closely with the Korean National Police as they continue their investigation,” Brig. Gen. Chris Gentry, Eighth Army Deputy Commanding General, said in a release.
About 28,500 American soldiers are stationed in the nation as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. (Yonhap News)
