경찰과의 추격전에서 총상을 입은 미군의 상태가 안정적이라고 경찰당국이 일요일 밝혔다.

서울 용산경찰서에 따르면 토요일 자정 즈음 부상을 입은 미군과 다른 한 명의 미군이 이태원 다문화거리에서 공기총으로 민간인들을 위협하고 있다는 제보전화가 걸려왔다.

두 명의 미군은 이태원경찰서의 경찰들에게 둘러싸였지만 자신의 신원을 밝히길 거부하고 차량에 올라타 서울에서 경찰들과 함께 추격전을 벌였다.

경찰은 세 번의 경고사격을 하였고 그 중 한 발이 미군을 맞추며 추격전은 끝났다. 일병이라고만 신원을 밝힌 미군은 주한미군병원에 호송되었다고 경찰당국은 전했다.

도주 중 미군들은 다른 차량에 피해를 입혀 타 경찰서 근무요원들이 현장으로 지원 투입되었다.

경찰은 미군들의 자동차 번호판을 회수하고 심문을 위해 이들을 소환했다.

 “지금까지 미군에 의한 인명 피해는 없었고 조사에 착수하고 있습니다” 라고 용산경찰서의 한 관계자가 밝혔다. 그는 “한 명이 현재 치료중이지만 곧 조사를 위해 소환할 것입니다” 라고 전했다.

용산 미8군기지 관계자는 음주로 인한 사고는 아닌 것 같다고 전했지만 보다 자세한 내용은 밝히지 않았다.

국내에는 현재 한국전쟁 이후로 약 28,500명의 주한미군이 거주하고 있다. (코리아헤럴드)


<관련 영문 기사>

One U.S. soldier shot by police in car chase

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 multicultural 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)