

Violence plagued the Loop in Chicago on Saturday night. Police directed Fox News to the “ initial narrative” that only two suspects were involved and added that police “do not have any additional information.” A large group of youths is seen surrounding the bus driver and hitting and kicking him as onlookers cheer and record the incident.Ĭhicago police, however, did not confirm to Fox News that the video circulating shows the attack on the 49-year-old bus driver. An unidentified 15-year-old boy was charged with a felony count of aggravated battery of a transit employee and disorderly conduct in connection.įootage allegedly showing the incident has spread on social media. He was reportedly pushed and punched by both a male and female, police said.

The bus driver, 49, was inspecting his bus at about 9 p.m. We will not allow the CTA to get involved in political spin with the media.ĬTA says they added 50 new security patrols this year with additional guards to come next year.īeyond added security, members also demanded more justice for attacked employees.A Chicago bus driver landed in the hospital after he was beaten on the streets Saturday night, resulting in a 15-year-old boy being arrested.
#Chicago bus driver beaten drivers
But again, the Union has seen a significant spike in crimes against its drivers in 2021. As it relates to overall crime, ridership was down significantly last year because of the pandemic. That is inclusive of being spit upon, verbally and physically assaulted. Today the Union spoke boldly and exclusively to crimes committed against bus drivers. This is all political spin by the CTA and the mayor's office. The Transit Union says that is simply not true: Whenever a CTA employee is assaulted while discharging his or her duties, the CTA works closely with law enforcement to ensure that felony upgrades are aggressively pursued against the offender. That includes the deployment of contracted, unarmed security guards, which the CTA has used for several years and has recently expanded upon with 50 new security patrols added across the system in 2021 and additional guards being added in 2022. That's why CTA has taken multiple steps over the years and invested significantly in equipment and systems to keep employees safe, and we're always looking for ways to enhance these measures. The CTA has always worked closely with the leadership and members of ATU on this important issue, and we agree that no employee should ever be subject to abuse or assault. Working closely with the Chicago Police Department, which provides law enforcement for the CTA, we've seen a 20 percent drop in crime this year compared to last year, following a 41 percent reduction in transit crime from 2019 to 2020. The safety and security of our employees is our top priority, and we have zero tolerance for anyone seeking to harm them. In a statement, the CTA said they have seen an over 20% drop in "transit crime" this year compared to last year: "Next time we're going to shut down the city." "We're getting ready to shut down the street," said Hill.
