Police: Man wanted for punching MTA driver, pouring lighter fluid on him
According to the NYPD, the driver on the B44 bus announced at around 6 p.m. the bus was going out of service and all passengers needed to exit.
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Police say a man is wanted for assaulting a bus driver Saturday in Crown Heights.
According to the NYPD, the driver on the B44 bus announced at around 6 p.m. on Saturday that the bus was going out of service and all passengers needed to exit.
The driver offered to assist a man who stayed on the bus and that's when police say the man punched the driver several times and poured what appeared to be charcoal lighter fluid on him, then fled.
Members of the Transit Workers Local 100 Union say they have been pushing for the city to have NYPD officers riding buses at all times, not just stepping on and off the vehicle.
"Bus operators specifically are being assaulted at a higher rate since January until now, and we are up almost 20%... it is increasing, and the type [] of assaults are becoming more violent than they've ever been, which is why drivers feel less protected than they ever have," said Alexander Kempt, representative from TWU Local 100.
The bus driver was taken to treatment and is listed in stable condition.
