CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Area Transit System bus driver, who police said got into a shootout with a passenger last month, will likely not face charges at this time.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department shared that information Wednesday, noting the expectation of no charges came after consultation with Mecklenburg District Attorney's Office.
Surveillance video from the Charlotte Area Transit System shows the May 18 shooting. Authorities said the incident occurred after Omarri Tobias, a passenger, asked David Fullard, the driver, to make an unscheduled stop as the bus traveled through Charlotte's Steele Creek neighborhood.
When Fullard refused, Tobias can be heard on the recording taunting Fullard, who continues to drive. Then, Tobias can be seen pulling a gun, and moments later, Fullard pulls out his own gun. Gunfire is then exchanged as the bus drives off the roadway.
Two other passengers on the bus ran to the rear of the bus. Neither of those individuals were physically harmed in the shooting.
After the incident, Brent Cagle, interim CEO for CATS, said the investigation found Fullard did not use any of the three alarm systems available to bus drivers during emergencies. He added it is standard procedure to not allow passengers off in between stops, but drivers can if needed, and that might have de-escalated the situation.
"If they believe that it’s in the best interest, and they can do that safely, to let the passenger out even at an undesignated stop, that’s completely a reasonable action for them to take," Cagle said.
RATP Dev, the third-party operator of the city's buses, said it "parted ways" with Fullard, accusing him of violating employee policy by carrying the weapon on the job.
Tobias was injured in the shooting. He is facing several charges, including assault with a deadly weapon.
Contact Vanessa Ruffes at vruffes@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.