Six soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland who had travelled to the United States on a rugby tour that included a friendly match against a New York police team have been charged with assault after they allegedly punched an off-duty police officer to the floor in a pub brawl.
The New York police department (NYPD) said that the rugby match had been cancelled due to a "player shortage". The six, all of whom are from Fiji but are based with the regiment in Edinburgh, have been released from detention in Rikers Island prison, the NYPD said, though they still face prosecution and possible discharge from the army if their actions are deemed to merit disciplinary action.
Following the incident, in the early hours of Friday in the 17th precinct of Manhattan, the six soldiers were arrested and brought before a judge. Lance Corporal Iosefo Yavala, 33, was charged with robbery and assault after he was allegedly found in the possession of the police officer's mobile phone.
The remaining five – Private Iliakini Raderua, 30; Corporal Thomas Shute, 34; Private Felite Vunisarati, 34; Private Mosese Kuruala, 27; and Lance Corporal Joeli Raduva, 34 – were all charged with assault.
The Daily Record said that Raduva had been commended for his bravery in the Territorial Army in 2011.
The fight happened outside the Mercury Bar, a sports bar on 3rd Avenue on the east side of Manhattan. The NYPD said that "three to four" of the soldiers were involved in the brawl, which started after the off-duty police officer in plain clothes and his friend began talking to a woman attached to the British group.
One of the soldiers is alleged to have taken the officer's phone as the policeman tried to call 911 to report the assault. As the brawl continued, a Manhattan court heard, the NYPD officer pulled out a knife and slashed one of the soldiers.
The soldiers claimed through their legal representatives in court that the police officer inflamed the situation by calling one of them a "black bastard". When the NYPD officer identified himself as police, one of the six is alleged to have replied: "We don't care. Fuck the police."
So wait, let me get this straight - the off-duty cops are hitting on a woman with this group of British soldiers, the Brits get into a scuffle with the off-duty cops (not yet knowing they're off duty cops), one of the off-duty cops calls one of the soldiers a "black bastard", the soldiers start to kick the cops' asses in a brawl, one of the cops tries to call 911 for the cavalry but a soldier takes his phone from him, an off-duty cop pulls out a knife and slashes one of the Brits, and then the Brits are arrested while nothing happens to the cops.
Just a typical day in Bloomberg's NYC - impunity for the cops even though they ought to be in at least as much trouble with the NYPD as the Brits are with the British Army.
Or isn't it a problem when off-duty cops get into a fight with guys in a bar, use racist slurs and pull a knife on somebody and slash them?
Ironic that these off-duty cops had to call 911 for back-up.
I guess they met their match when they decided to take on the British rugby team.
Not used to anybody fighting back, are you boys?
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