The U.S. Army is working with Polish authorities as they investigate allegations that U.S. soldiers beat up locals earlier this month.
The altercation was reportedly bad enough that an ambulance was called to the scene.
Master Sgt. Nathan Hoskins, a spokesman for the Atlantic Resolve Mission Command Element in Poznan, Poland, confirmed the Army is cooperating with Polish officials to investigate the incident.
“We take any allegation of soldier misconduct seriously and are fully cooperating with Polish authorities to help determine the facts of this incident and ensure that appropriate action is taken. We appreciate the strong partnership we have with our Polish allies and the surrounding community,” Hoskins said in an email to Army Times.
The incident, which was first reported by Stars and Stripes, allegedly occurred Oct. 5, when the soldiers may have beaten up a local dentist and two of his sons in the western Poland city of Skwierzyna.
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The incident occurred on a Friday night when the soldiers were reportedly pounding on an apartment door, according to local media reports cited by Stripes.
A man and his sons attempted to calm the situation, but a fight ensued and all three Polish men were injured in the brawl, media reports stated. While locals called for an ambulance, the soldiers reportedly fled the scene.
Hoskins wasn’t able to speak to those reports of the incident.
“More information will be available once the investigation is concluded," he added. “That’s as much as I can provide with regards to the investigation at the moment."
The American military presence in Poland has been growing over the past few years.
Western Poland plays host to rotations of U.S. armored brigades that participate in the Atlantic Resolve mission to deter Russian aggression.
“We are fully committed to being both strong allies and good neighbors," Hoskins said.
Poland has also expressed a strong desire to host a permanent U.S. military base in the country, a move that the Trump administration appears interested in.
U.S. armored brigade combat teams garrison a significant portion of troops and equipment at Polish military bases in Żagań, Świętoszów, Skwierzyna and Bolesławiec, according to the U.S. embassy and consulates in Poland.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
