The Charlotte Area Transit System is sharing surveillance video from inside one of its buses after a shootout between a passenger and the bus driver.
The shooting happened on May 18 on Outlets Boulevard, which is near the Charlotte Premium Outlets in Steele Creek.
According to CATS, the incident started when a passenger started a verbal argument with the bus driver. The passenger then pulled out a gun, and the bus operator also pulled out a gun, and they both shot at each other, CATS said.
In court, Media learned the passenger, 22-year-old Omarri Shariff Tobias, allegedly tried to ride the bus without paying, which led to the confrontation.
Video from surveillance cameras on the bus, though it can be hard to watch, supports that narrative. Four different angles of the newly released video show two other innocent passengers onboard when it all unfolds.
Tobias walks up to the driver and asks to be let off the bus. The driver, David Fullard, tells him it’s not a designated stop and motions for him to get back. An argument starts then.
At one point, Tobias can be heard threatening Fullard.
“I dare you. Touch me,” he said. “I dare you to touch me. I’m going to pop your [expletive]!”
The passenger steps back and can be seen pulling out a handgun. Seconds later, he steps back up. The driver sees the gun, pulls out his own, and opens fire.
The two passengers can be seen ducking for cover near the back exit. Tobias, who police said was shot in the stomach, heads their way. Then the video shows the driver fire three more shots at Tobias, who then can be seen getting off the bus. The driver gets off, too, and fires a final shot.
Fullard was shot in the arm. CATS fired him, saying in a statement that it’s against policy for an employee to have a weapon on CATS property or while performing their job. His attorney said he had the gun because like so many drivers, he didn’t feel safe on the job.
He is not facing any charges for now. Tobias faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries, communicating threats, and carrying a concealed firearm. He was given a $250,000 bond.