Cleveland Bus Driver Suspended after Punching and Throwing Unruly Female off the Bus

[JamesG]

Cleveland Bus Driver Suspended after Punching Female Passenger, Throwing Her into Street
VICTORIA CAVALIERE
Saturday, October 13, 2012









A Cleveland bus driver has been suspended from the job after he punched a woman in the face and physically tossed her into the street.

"She want to be a man, I'm gonna treat you like a man," the driver announced to passengers.



Artis Hughes, a 22-year employee of Cleveland’s Regional Transit Authority (RTA) “has been removed from duty” pending an investigation into the September incident, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Friday.

The punch and ensuing fight between Hughes and Shidea Lane, 25, was captured on cell phone video and posted on YouTube. The video went viral. It is unclear what started the fight.



An apparently irate Lane is seen arguing with the bus driver and a man who appears to be working on the bus. Hughes said Lane then threatened him.

Hughes stood up from the driver’s seat and landed an uppercut on the woman’s chin before grabbing her off her feet and throwing her into the street.

Lane quickly got back on the bus throwing a punch at the driver and the passengers then broke up the brawl.



Transit and local police were called to the scene, but both parties declined to press charges, The Plain Dealer reported.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1182600

[MrCleveland]

This is the Public Transit System that I must use now since I'm carless. I can get irate but wow...that may be me one day.

[dakert]

Dont you just pay your 50 cents, grab a seat and get off at your stop? To be honest I havent been on the bus in 30 years.

[catlover79]

http://fox8.com/2012/10/16/hot-liqui...drivers-faces/

Hot Liquid Thrown in Bus Drivers’ Faces

Posted on: 8:58 am, October 16, 2012, by Lindsay Buckingham

UNIVERSITY CIRCLE — The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is investigating after someone threw hot liquid in the faces of two bus operators.

It happened at around 10:30 a.m Monday at the RTA station in University Circle.

An RTA spokesperson said that a male suspect took off from the scene right after the incident.

The bus operators were taken to local hospitals for medical treatment. The nature of their injuries was not immediately revealed.

Transit police are checking the bus to see if the incident was captured on surveillance video.

Officials did not provide additional details.

Stick with Fox 8 News and FOX8.com for updates on this story as they become available.

[robyrob]

people are horrible.

obviously the uppercut was too much - but you can't expect someone to just sit there and get harassed, yelled at, spit upon and then assaulted just because some idiot thinks that they don't have to pay the fare.

[MrCleveland]

All I can say now is...

Pray that I get my auto loan approved. It's one thing being a maniac on the road, but having more than one maniac in one vehichle sucks. I have to ride on public transportation because I'm unlucky in life and I can't get a ride from someone, so I could use that loan to get a car and get back on the road again (I'll just drive it to my supermarket for a month or so, then maybe to my church).

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by catlover79

http://fox8.com/2012/10/16/hot-liqui...drivers-faces/

Hot Liquid Thrown in Bus Drivers’ Faces

Posted on: 8:58 am, October 16, 2012, by Lindsay Buckingham

UNIVERSITY CIRCLE — The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is investigating after someone threw hot liquid in the faces of two bus operators.

It happened at around 10:30 a.m Monday at the RTA station in University Circle.

An RTA spokesperson said that a male suspect took off from the scene right after the incident.

The bus operators were taken to local hospitals for medical treatment. The nature of their injuries was not immediately revealed.

Transit police are checking the bus to see if the incident was captured on surveillance video.

Officials did not provide additional details.

Stick with Fox 8 News and FOX8.com for updates on this story as they become available.

Was this an isolated incident or some sort of retaliation for the fight?

I've read many stories of bus drivers and the crap that they get on the bus, it's unfortunate.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by JamesG

Was this an isolated incident or some sort of retaliation for the fight?

I've read many stories of bus drivers and the crap that they get on the bus, it's unfortunate.

One of the local stations interviewed the president of RTA and she said they have no way of knowing if it was a retaliation or if this would have happened regardless. The timing does seem pretty suspicious...

[robyrob]

they should arm the bus drivers with a Taser and one of those emergency "I've fallen and I can't get up" - thingees that they press the button if they get into trouble

also doors that automatically lock and better cameras aimed at the people as they get ON the bus

[catlover79]

^

[robyrob]

of course an "EJECT" button would probably work best - just have a corresponding hatch in the roof right above the area where an assailant would be standing right beside the driver, and have it automatically call a city maintenance crew to scoop up the body afterwards.

[MrCleveland]

I saw someone yell at the bus driver today and the driver threatened to meet-up with him two hours ago! And this was when I was getting back to my apartment.

I miss driving...

[catlover79]

http://fox8.com/2012/10/18/charges-f...rta-bus-fight/

Charges Filed Against Woman, Bus Driver in RTA Bus Fight

Posted on: 12:55 pm, October 18, 2012, by Jessica Bates, updated on: 06:49pm, October 18, 2012

CLEVELAND — A woman seen on a viral video in an altercation with an RTA bus driver has been charged in connection to the fight, Fox 8 News has learned.

RTA has filed disorderly conduct charges against Shidea Lane for her actions on Sept.18.

“There were concerns about safety for the customers on the bus and the operator,” said RTA spokeswoman Mary Shaffer.

Video surfaced last week showing the physical confrontation between Shidea Lane and RTA bus driver 59-year-old Artis Hughes.

The video appears to show 25-year-old Lane grabbing Hughes during a verbal altercation.

That led to the driver stopping the bus near Chagrin Boulevard and Green Road and delivering an uppercut that knocked her to the ground.

According to a written statement in an RTA police report, Artis Hughes told investigators, “She said she would spit on me, that’s when I told her I would hurt her, she continued to threaten me and as I was driving, she grabbed me in the throat and spit on me in the face. I stopped the bus and I protected myself and got off the bus.”

Last week, Lane spoke exclusively to Fox 8 News reporter Melissa Reid, “I’m still in pain, you know what I’m saying, my face still hurts, like it does, you know what I’m sayin … it was swollen for like … it’s still probably swollen.”

Shaffer says Lane didn’t seek to file charges against Hughes immediately after the incident, leading them to believe she never painted herself as the victim.

“There were no reports or filings by Ms. Lane to indicate there were any problems on this vehicle. The only report we received was from the operator, stating that he was assaulted on that run,” explained Shaffer.

At this point, assault charges have also been filed against Hughes.

Beachwood Prosecutor Tom Greve reviewed the charges against Lane and Hughes and submitted them to Shaker Heights Municipal Court.

Hughes remains suspended without pay until further notice. Shaffer told Fox 8 News he must go through a process agreed on by the union and RTA to see where his employment stands.

RTA said they are working with their unions to strengthen rules to protect employees and their customers against misconduct, as well as to increase penalties.

Hughes and Lane are due in court at a later date.

[catlover79]

http://fox8.com/2012/10/22/rta-drive...ative-hearing/

RTA Driver Turns Self In, Faces Administrative Hearing

Posted on: 11:01 pm, October 22, 2012, by Kevin Freeman, updated on: 11:09pm, October 22, 2012

BEACHWOOD, Ohio — The RTA bus driver seen in a viral video punching an unruly passenger turned himself in to police Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a local lawmaker is trying to toughen the laws against people who assault transit drivers.

Artis Hughes, 59, walked into the Beachwood police department surrounded by dozens of fellow RTA drivers.

Hughes is the driver seen in a viral video delivering a strong uppercut last month to an unruly passenger during a dispute over paying her fare.

*Click here to see cell phone video of the incident…

Video shot from a different angle appears to show the woman, Shi’dea Lane, 25, assaulting him first. She is charged with disorderly conduct.

“Brother Hughes did his job…once Brother Hughes told the young lady get behind the yellow line that was it. He was putting her off, but she kept on, she kept on antagonizing and everybody heard that…it wasn’t that Brother Hughes was going out there to beat up our passengers,” said union representative William Nix, Sr.

Hughes spent about 30 minutes inside being processed on the misdemeanor assault charge, and posted a $5,000 bond. He briefly spoke to reporters after he walked out.

*Click here for additional coverage including more of the driver’s side …

“They behind me, I appreciate it all, I appreciate it all– these my brothers–do your job, do your job you know…and that’s all I tried to do was my job,” Hughes said.

“I have concerns, and the big concern is…if that bus driver had of lost control because of the rider influence with him driving, then we could have fatalities on the bus, even with pedestrians passing by,” said Cleveland city councilman Kevin Conwell.

Conwell says at next week’s council meeting, he plans to introduce a resolution.

It calls for the state legislature to make it a felony in Ohio to interfere with a transit driver.

“As the safety chair, I have to look at the macro not just the episodic part of it…the macros was…if Kevin Freeman’s family is on that bus, we need to protect them, or if a pedestrian is passing by, I don’t want the bus to get out of control,” Conwell said.

“We done had so many problems out there, that our members are worried and are tired of being attacked,” said Nix.

“This sets a precedent also that people can get on the bus and do anything to a driver and they can get away with it…this sets a bad precedent and RTA should recognize that,” said Cheryl Wakes, whose husband also drives an RTA bus.

Hughes did not get into details of the incident, but did have one last comment.

“I just wanna get back to work,” he said.

Artis Hughes will have an administrative hearing with RTA officials on Wednesday to discuss the incident and employment status.

For more information regarding this story, click here.

[Waterston_Fan]

I have to admit, even if the woman deserved it, I'm not sure I'd want to be riding a bus if I knew the driver hit a person.