WILTON MANORS, FLA. (WSVN) - A brawl erupted on board a Broward County Transit bus on Memorial Day after a passenger’s expletive-laced taunts escalated into fisticuffs, the bus driver and a witness said.
Broward County bus driver Ken Legler said he tried to keep his cool when passenger Charity Hunter began yelling at him as he drove south on Powerline Road. “Just kept repeatedly, repeatedly using filthy language,” said Legler. “She comes up and just ‘f this’ and ‘f that.'”
Legler advised the agitated passenger to refrain from using profanity. “On two separate occasions I asked her to watch her language, that you’re not allowed to curse on Broward County buses,” he said.
That apparently didn’t work. Legler, a driver for 29 years and a former police officer, said he got on his radio, even though it wasn’t working, hoping that would be enough to make her stop.
It didn’t, and Hunter kept on, as the bus continued south. “Then she said, ‘I’m gonna punch you in the face,'” said Legler.
“Try me! Oh, OK!” Hunter is heard saying on surveillance video.
That’s the moment when, Legler and passenger Scott Bement said, Hunter hit the bus driver in the face, leaving a red mark.
“She did do one of these deals, OK?” said Bement as he mimicked a punch. “She hit him. I know she did.”
The bus ground to a halt in Wilton Manors, and the situation deteriorated even further. The footage shows two other passengers jumping in and exchanging blows with Hunter.
Legler forced Hunter off the bus, and it was then that the video showed the rowdy passenger coming back inside and coming to blows with the operator.
“I remember pushing her and hitting her. Again, everything was happening so quick,” said Legler.
He ended up with a broken finger and a cut from what he believes was a razor blade.
Hunter ended up in handcuffs, charged with battery.
Legler is facing a disciplinary hearing within the next week or so.
Broward County Transit spokesperson Tim Garling issued a statement that reads:
“This incident is the subject of an investigation, and the actions of the bus operator are currently under review. All BCT bus operators are expected to act in a courteous and professional manner under all conditions. BCT takes these situations seriously, and any necessary follow-up actions will be based on the results of our investigation.”
But this isn’t the first time it’s happened to Legler. A woman pummeled him in Wilton Manors as he drove his route in September of 2015, after he took what he believed was her forged bus pass. The bus rolled into an intersection when Legler came out of his seat.
Legler was suspended for five days following that incident.
Now he fears for his job. “I’m sure most drivers would tell you it’s better just to look the other way,” he said.
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