Lyft driver pulled gun on couple, used anti-gay slurs, lawsuit alleges
Sat. December 16, 2017 6:18 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
lawsuit: lyft driver pulled gun on men, used gay slur
photo credit // nbcchicago.com
Chicago, IL -
Two men filed a lawsuit against Lyft after one of its drivers allegedly pulled a gun, ordered them out of the vehicle and shouted anti-gay slurs.
Charlie Calvin, 31, and another passenger, who is not identified in the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Dec. 13 in Cook County, requested a Lyft ride on Sept. 1 after leaving Sidetrack in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood. They were paired with driver Jalessa Rance.
According to the lawsuit, the pair did not make it far when an argument ensued after the men pointed out that the driver had taken a wrong turn.
Rance, 25, allegedly then pulled out a 9MM hand gun, pointed it at Calvin, and told both men to get out of her vehicle.
"I was kind of startled at first," Calvin said at a press conference on Wednesday. "My level of surprise was astronomical."
The lawsuit states that Rance followed them out of the car, pointed the gun at them again, and yelled, "I'll blast you" and used the homophobic slur.
Police took her into custody shortly after in the 3600 block of North Broadway. Rance, of Aurora, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with deadly weapon and one out of unlawful use of a weapon, all misdemeanors. She has a valid concealed-carry license.
In the six-count suit, the two men seek more than $300,00 in damages from the driver and the ridesharing company.
"The safety of the Lyft community is our top priority, and we have a strict no weapons policy for both drivers and passengers," Lyft spokeswoman Alexandra LaManna said in a statement after Rance was charged.
"We have reached out to the passenger and deactivated the driver in question while we look into this matter, and stand ready to assist law enforcement in any investigation," LaManna added.
The company did not provide comment about the suit.
Charlie Calvin, 31, and another passenger, who is not identified in the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Dec. 13 in Cook County, requested a Lyft ride on Sept. 1 after leaving Sidetrack in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood. They were paired with driver Jalessa Rance.
According to the lawsuit, the pair did not make it far when an argument ensued after the men pointed out that the driver had taken a wrong turn.
Rance, 25, allegedly then pulled out a 9MM hand gun, pointed it at Calvin, and told both men to get out of her vehicle.
"I was kind of startled at first," Calvin said at a press conference on Wednesday. "My level of surprise was astronomical."
The lawsuit states that Rance followed them out of the car, pointed the gun at them again, and yelled, "I'll blast you" and used the homophobic slur.
Police took her into custody shortly after in the 3600 block of North Broadway. Rance, of Aurora, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with deadly weapon and one out of unlawful use of a weapon, all misdemeanors. She has a valid concealed-carry license.
In the six-count suit, the two men seek more than $300,00 in damages from the driver and the ridesharing company.
"The safety of the Lyft community is our top priority, and we have a strict no weapons policy for both drivers and passengers," Lyft spokeswoman Alexandra LaManna said in a statement after Rance was charged.
"We have reached out to the passenger and deactivated the driver in question while we look into this matter, and stand ready to assist law enforcement in any investigation," LaManna added.
The company did not provide comment about the suit.