Police looking for Uber driver who assaulted man at airport rental car facility
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - Police are looking for an Uber driver who allegedly assaulted a man at a rental car facility at Mineta San Jose International Airport last week, a police spokesman said today.
The victim saw the suspect drive at high speeds in a white sedan around 9:50 a.m. Thursday and followed him to a car rental facility, police Sgt. Enrique Garcia said.
The suspect parked the vehicle and was confronted by the victim over the fast driving, Garcia said.
The victim took photos of the suspect and the car, where a sticker for rideshare company Uber was posted on a window, Garcia said.
The suspect stepped out the car and grabbed the victim by the shirt, according to Garcia.
The suspect also yelled and pushed the victim before he left with his fare who had arrived, Garcia said.
The suspect is described as a white man in his 40s with dark hair standing about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing around 175 pounds, according to Garcia.
Uber rider Charlie Myers said he had to think twice before stepping into an Uber car.
"I love Uber and I love their service but it's sad to think these people are doing these crazy things," said Myers. "I would not have gotten into that car," Myers said speaking about the incident. "I would have said, 'nope I will wait for another Uber or taxi'."
"It seems to me Uber is getting a lot of bad raps lately," said Uber Driver Tony Jones.
This assualt comes after Uber driver Jason Dalton allegedly shot six people to death and hurt two others in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Dalton reportedly picked up riders in between shootings.
"The safety of the traveling public is number one," said Shakur Buni with the San Jose Airport Taxi Driver Association. "This is what we were talking about."
Buni said the assault reinforces their call for stricter background checks for ride-sharing companies. Uber startted picking up fares at the airport two months ago. Currently, the city said it randomly audits one percent of the airport's drivers.
Over the phone, an Uber spokesman defended the company's safety policy saying they check a driver's federal, state and local records. All trips are also tracked using GPS.
Uber also issued a statement that read "We have a zero tolerance policy for violence of any kind while driving or riding with the Uber platform."
An airport spokeswoman said the employee who was assaulted is fine and back to work.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the police assaults unit at (408) 277-4161. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-7867.