Six British soldiers who have been charged with assaulting an off-duty New York City police officer are expected to appear in court this week, according to a police spokesman.

The six soldiers were arrested early Friday morning after the 30-year-old police officer was injured outside a bar in Manhattan's Murray Hill neighborhood, said New York Police Department spokesman Sgt. Thomas Antonetti. A verbal altercation quickly escalated into a physical fight, he said.

The cause is still unclear, he added.