A dramatic video shows that a driver and a passenger opened fire on each on a moving vehicle in Charlotte, North Carolina earlier this month after an argument which left both men wounded, according to transit authorities.
According to a Charlotte Area Transit System news release, the shootout began on May 18, when a passenger, identified as Omarri Tobias by the authorities, got up and asked the bus driver to let him out between stops.
According to NBC affiliate WCNC based in Charlotte, Tobias was told by the driver, David Fullard that he had to wait until the stop next to him.
According to WCNC, Tobias taunts Fullard in the video released by the transit system. Tobias appears to pull a gun and Fullard takes out his firearm moments later.
Bullets are then seen destroying a barrier that separates the driver from the passenger. The video did not make it immediately clear who had fired the first shot. CATS didn’t immediately respond to NBC News’ overnight request for comment.
In a press release, the transit system stated that Fullard had been hit by a bullet to the arm while Tobias was shot in the abdomen.
Tobias is facing several charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon, according to WCNC.
RATP Dev is the third-party operator for the city’s bus fleet. According to a news report, Fullard violated the employee policy and carried a gun on the job. RATP Dev didn’t immediately respond to NBC News’ overnight request for comment.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department did not announce any criminal charges against bus driver.
Brent Cagle is the interim CEO of CATS. According to WCNC, an investigation revealed that Fullard had not used any of the three alarm systems available for bus drivers. He said that it is standard practice to not let passengers get off the bus between stops. However, drivers can make allowances if needed.
Cagle explained that if they feel it is in their best interest, and that they can do this safely, they should let the passenger go, even if the stop was not designated.
Fullard’s attorney Ken Harris told WCNC that Fullard had been with CATS nearly 20 years.
“Mr. Fullard has been a CATS bus driver for many years,” Harris said before the announcement by RATP Dev that the bus driver had been fired. He loves his job, and he wants it to continue. We want to address any issues related to the incident.
Harris said incidents of bus drivers getting injured or assaulted in the course of their work have been a constant problem in Charlotte.
Harris stated earlier this week that “you have these incidents which happen repeatedly, where drivers are assaulted or shot at. It creates a fear among drivers that they will not make it home.
Ethan Rivera was shot by authorities in February 2022. They believed it was a road-rage incident. WCNC reported that he died the following day from his injuries.
