A Cleveland bus driver has been suspended after a video that showed him punching and choking a female passenger surfaced online, WKYC reported.
The graphic cell phone video, filmed by another passenger, first appeared on World Star Hip Hop—a site that’s often the first to post uncensored fight footage—and was later uploaded to YouTube. It starts with a young female passenger arguing with the bus driver, whose name has not been released to the public.
A third person can be seen stepping in front of the camera as the young woman approaches the bus driver. Moments later, the driver knocks her to the ground.
“You’re going to jail now!” the bus driver shouts as he tosses her out of the bus.
The passenger gets back on the bus and a full-out brawl ensues as the bus driver tries to throw her off the bus again and the other passengers step in to break up the fight. The young woman and the bus driver still try to get in some punches and hair-pulling as they are separated.
“She wanna be a man, I’m gonna treat you like a man,” the bus driver says when someone points out that the passenger he hit was a female.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) did not know about the incident until the video appeared online, and they are now conducting their own investigation.
“RTA saw the video posted on YouTube of the operator incident on October 11,” the RTA said in a statement. “Through the investigation, we believe the incident occurred on Sept. 18. Upon identifying the driver, he was immediately suspended and removed from duty. His behavior is absolutely unacceptable.”
Photo via DPRegionalTransport/Flickr
