A passenger appeared in court on Wednesday after being charged with shooting a CATS bus driver last week.
The Charlotte Area Transit System said last Thursday that passengers began verbally arguing with bus drivers. The passenger then pulled out a gun. And the bus driver also drew his gun. and they both fired at each other.
In court there were details about what had happened.
The report said the passenger tried to board the bus but refused to pay. This led to an argument between the bus driver and the passenger.
The passenger then asked the driver to drop him off near a McDonald’s. When the bus driver said he couldn’t do that The passenger replied “I’m going to hit you… I dare you to touch me.”
Previous coverage: Passenger charged after shooting CATS bus driver, police say
The passenger showed the gun to the bus driver. Causing the driver to draw the gun himself The driver shot the passenger first. The passenger then fired back, according to reports.
A passenger seen on CCTV fled after being shot in the stomach.
The passenger, identified as 22-year-old Omarri Shariff Tobias, has been charged with aggravated assault with a lethal weapon. communicate threats and carry a concealed gun
Tobias’s collateral increased from $100,000 to $250,000, and he’s barred from taking CATS buses or light rail.
Tobias has remained in detention since Wednesday.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 injured in shooting between CATS bus driver, passengers near shopping mall
Channel 9’s Hunter Sáenz spoke with Ken Harris, the bus driver’s attorney. Harris said The fact that his client, who has worked for CATS for 19 years, felt the need to bring a gun on the bus speaks to longstanding safety concerns.
“Anyone at work who is constantly exposed to dangerous workplace situations. may be expected to find ways to protect themselves in order to return home safely,” Harris said.
In court, the judge said something like this had happened before. It refers to the fatal shooting of Ethan Rivera, a CATS bus driver, last year.
The judge also said that He was surprised that the bus driver had a firearm in his possession. He followed up with, “The driver has the right to defend himself.”
The CATS bus driver has not been charged at this time.
VIDEO: Security Still an Issue on CATS Buses After Shootout Between Driver and Passenger the lawyer said