After an Uber driver picked up several passengers Saturday night, he said things got violent. He said they began calling him racist names and cursing at him so he asked them to get out of the car.
“I opened the door and next thing I know I was shoved. Pushed down to the ground. I couldn’t see anything,” said Roosevelt Portee Jr., “I got kneed 5 times. 4-5 times in my face. Broken nose. Eye messed up.”
He was beaten so badly, he was hospitalized.
“I don’t think it’s right for them to take advantage of me like that when I’m trying to help them,” said Portee.
He called police, but by the time they got there, those passengers had taken off. Portee’s friend and fellow Uber driver Becky Massingill said he was just doing his job and he’s always so nice and helpful. She said she’s sick this happened to him.
“For something like this to happen to someone who is not is a confrontational person and takes care of his passengers and cares about his vehicle, I was horrified,” said Massingill.
Portee said he’s never felt unsafe driving Uber, but after this attack, he doesn’t know if Uber is something he wants to keep doing.
“This should have never happened,” said Portee.
Police are still investigating what happened that night and they said no arrests have been made yet.
This article will be updated when we get more information.
