DETROIT – A Detroit Department of Transportation bus driver was arrested Tuesday afternoon after a Wayne County Sheriff's deputy saw the driver strike a female passenger, according to the Sheriff's Office.
It happened around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday near the northwest campus of Wayne County Community College District on Outer Drive near the Southfield Freeway.
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Deputies said the bus had reached the end of its route when the driver asked the three remaining female passengers to leave.
The trio allegedly began complaining about continuing on when the driver restated that it was the end of the line and that they had to leave as he was going to take a scheduled break, deputies said.
Two passengers got off the bus. As the third passenger was exiting the steps, words were exchanged and the driver allegedly grabbed the woman and pulled her back on the bus, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The passenger told deputies that's when the driver began attacking her in a physical altercation.
A deputy completing a perimeter check at WCCCD saw the driver hitting the passenger. Deputies said he rushed to the bus, ordered the driver to stop and when the driver failed to comply the deputy used non-lethal chemical spray to get the driver to stop.
It is not known if the individuals involved were known to one another, the Sheriff's Office said.
During the bus driver's arrest, the deputy confiscated a handgun from the driver who had a valid CPL, but it is against regulations for DDOT drivers to carry weapons while driving, authorities said.
A DDOT supervisor arrived at the scene, along with a deputy chief and two officers from the Transit Authority and WCCCD security. Deputies said both the passenger and the driver refused medical attention.
The driver was taken to the Wayne County Road Patrol division for processing.