Berlin: Six athletes from the world
championships were arrested after a scuffle at a Berlin disco,
police said.
The six were being investigated on possible charges of
disturbing the peace and causing bodily harm after the
incident at the Havanna Disco, police said.
The athletes were not identified by name in accordance
with German privacy laws. Police said in a statement they were
a 26-year-old American man, three men from the Bahamas aged
24, 25 and 28, and two from Cuba aged 21 and 24.
Police spokesman Frank Millert said the men all spent the
night in jail, but were being released later.
The incident occurred just before 4 am yesterday as the
athletes, who were part of a group of 20 people, tried to get
into the overflowing nightclub, police said.
Words were exchanged with doormen after the group was
told to stay in a waiting area, police said. The confrontation
escalated when the doormen then tried to force the group to
leave.
Bottles were thrown at the club employees, injuring a
30-year-old and a 36-year-old in the head, and a 27-year-old
in the face, police said. All three refused medical treatment.
Once police were called, they arrested the three athletes
from the Bahamas and the American. The two Cubans were
arrested slightly later after more bottles were thrown, police
said.
In accordance with the German system, Millert said
prosecutors would review the investigation in the coming week
and decide whether to press charges. Disturbing the peace can
be punished with as little as a fine, but the charge of
causing bodily harm carries a minimum 3-month prison sentence.
Bureau Report
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