LADOT bus driver attacked in South LA fights back
LOS ANGELES - A woman was arrested after being caught on camera attacking a bus driver in South Los Angeles Sunday, and the bus driver fought back.
It happened around 1 p.m. Sunday, at the bus stop near S. Central Avenue and E. 35th Street. The bus was an LADOT Transit bus. The sign on the bus said it was servicing the MTA Blue Line.
In the video, a woman is seen ripping open the door that separates the driver from the rest of the bus. The driver fights back, pushing the woman off the bus, and screaming at her to get off the bus. The attacker is throwing punches the entire time.
The attacker appears to let up, and as the bus driver turns around to grab the woman's bag, the attacker throws a few more punches from behind. The bus driver then throws the woman's bag at her, gets back on the bus and starts to drive off.
Investigators confirmed the suspect was taken into custody and the bus driver did not require hospitalization.
SUGGESTED: 'We're not safe': Metro bus driver expresses concern following series of attacks
The attack comes in the wake of several attacks on other transportation employees across LA County. Back in April, there were three separate attacks on Metro buses in the span of a week. In one of those attacks, a Metro bus driver was stabbed while driving his route in Willowbrook.
Those attacks led the Metro Board of Directors to install barriers on buses, and approve an emergency procurement declaration to secure funds for more. Many Metro bus drivers called a "sick-out" Friday over concerns for their safety.
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LADOT operates solely in the city of Los Angeles, while Metro services the entire county. FOX 11 has reached out to LADOT for comment, and has not yet heard back.