An altercation broke out on a Newark bus last Friday, leading to the arrest of both the driver and a passenger.
On the busy bus between Broad and Lafayette streets on August 16th, at about noon, it happened.
According to authorities, they were alerted to reports of a violent confrontation between an adult passenger and the bus driver.
The altercation allegedly began when the rider spat on the driver.
According to authorities, the bus driver had previously instructed people to board the bus in the rear before the altercation occurred.
After reviewing the footage, the police in Newark concluded that the motorist choked his passenger while continuing to punch him.
You wronged a bus driver who is attempting to assist the community, and this guy is only trying to do his job. Zoey Clarke, a bus passenger, pointed out that he is only doing his job and wants to feel protected.
An aggravated assault accusation has been filed against both guys.
Riders on the New Jersey Transit system gave Eyewitness News reporter Anthony Johnson a wide range of perspectives on what transpired and who was at fault.
“He spit on him,” Newark resident Darrel Armstrong recalled, adding, “At the same time I think he should have called the police.” The incident was physical, yet Armstrong felt this way.
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“If someone spits on me, I’m automatically hitting them,” complained Donna Defeo of Newark.
In anticipation of further investigation, the bus driver has been fired. The matter is still under investigation, thus New Jersey Transit cannot comment on particular facts, according to their statement.
On board any of our vehicles or at any of our facilities, we will not tolerate any type of attack. Our driver had already been the victim of an assault before the confrontation, as we can confirm.
Arson against a transit employee is a severe crime that carries severe penalties, including fines, jail time, and/or a prohibition from using the transit system. We would like to emphasize this point once again.