Dramatic footage shows shootout between bus driver, passenger

abcnews.com ^ | May 27, 2023 | Meredith Deliso and Darren Reynolds

[lowbridge]

The shooting occurred on May 18 on a Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus, after the passenger asked the driver to get off between stops near the Steele Creek Premium Outlet Mall, the transportation agency said.

During an approximately two-minute exchange, the passenger, identified by authorities as 22-year-old Omarri Shariff Tobias -- can be heard saying, "I dare you. I dare you to touch me. I'm going to pop your a--," in the footage, released Friday by CATS.

Tobias then walks away and can be seen pulling a firearm out of his jacket pocket, as two other passengers are visible seated on the bus, before moving back towards the front door of the bus and turning to face the driver.

Both men were struck by gunfire in the shooting -- the driver in the arm and the passenger in the abdomen -- and transported to a local hospital, CATS said. Both are expected to recover from their injuries, the agency said.

-snip

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not yet announced whether charges will be brought against Fullard, who has been fired, CATS said.

Fullard was an employee of RATP Dev/Transit Management, which does not allow employees to carry weapons while working, CATS said.

Fullard's attorney said he had the gun because he didn't feel safe on the job, ABC Charlotte affiliate WSOC reported.

CATS said it also determined that Fullard did not follow standard safety protocols, including de-escalation, during the altercation.

"Ninety-nine percent of CATS transit happens without any operator needing to engage emergency protocols. In this case, the operator did not leverage any," CATS said, noting that Fullard could have just let the passenger off the bus between the stops in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

[No name given]

I believe both the passenger and driver were black, from the footage I saw in the article.

[dragnet2]

In this case, the operator did not leverage any," CATS said, noting that Fullard could have just let the passenger off the bus between the stops in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

Then the driver gets fired for stopping and unloading passengers at an unauthorized stop. I can't believe their attempting to blame the innocent driver.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Omarri Shariff Tobias? I’d be pissed off too.

[Shannon]

....that Fullard could have just let the passenger off the bus between the stops in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

I call bs. If the Fullard (the driver) had let the creep off between stops you just know he would have been fired for not following policy.
No matter what Fullard did, he was toast. If Fullard hadn't shot him, he might have been killed or "popped" as the scum said!

[thegagline]

"I dare you. I dare you to touch me. I'm going to pop your a--,"

Shariff Don’t Like it.

[dragnet2]

CATS said, noting that Fullard could have just let the passenger off the bus between the stops in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

Trained cops can't deescalate many situations, but a bus driver should be able to?

[ansel12]

The driver seemed gangster also, he kept shooting at the guy, even getting off the bus to do so.

[PAR35]

The criminal passenger sounds Muzzi to me. “ Omarri Shariff Tobias”

[fr_freak]

Then the driver gets fired for stopping and unloading passengers at an unauthorized stop.

I don't know about this particular transit agency, but, in others, bus drivers are allowed to stop at places other than designated bus stops to unload passengers IF they determine it is a safe spot to do so.

[dragnet2]

And if the passenger gets off the bus at an unauthorized stop, and the passenger is robbed, run over, raped, assaulted at that spot, the company/city loses millions in lawsuits. It’s already happened.

[SteveH]

“Fullard was an employee of RATP Dev/Transit Management, which does not allow employees to carry weapons while working, CATS said.”

gee, what could go wrong

[Texan5]

“Fullard was an employee of RATP Dev/Transit Management, which does not allow employees to carry weapons while working, CATS said”.

Please tell me this is satire and not really the acronyms of the transit companies involved in this urban drama...

[Newtoidaho]

Omarri f’d around and found out.

The driver simply had zero F’s left to give.

[Spktyr]

Are you new to dealing with modern scumbag government bureaucracy, then? Blame everyone but themselves, including the victim.

[webheart]

Shariff Don’t Like it.

Rock the CATS bus.

[Kickaha]

The driver was just mad that he wasn’t as good a Bridge player as the passenger.

[Libloather]

Omarri Shariff Tobias

Wasn't he on the Andy Griffith Show?

[logi_cal869]

“Assault handgun”

Shoulda been a single shot musket.

/s

On a serious note: Driver recklessly endangered passengers. I wonder if he has qualified immunity. /s

[UnwashedPeasant]

"Ninety-nine percent of CATS transit happens without any operator needing to engage emergency protocols."

Only 1% of rides have an emergency. Assuming the driver does the route 20 times per day, that could mean an emergency every 5 days.