Man arrested in beating of Metrobus operator

A D.C. man accused of beating a Metrobus driver earlier this month was arrested Wednesday, Metro Transit Police said.

Darren Lowell West Jr., 20, of Northwest, was charged with assault in the Nov. 6 incident aboard a No. 92 bus, police said. West, who turned himself in to police serving a warrant, admitted to punching the bus operator because he was “angry,” authorities said.

The attack was one of several this year that have brought attention to a rising challenge for Metrobus drivers, who transport an average of 465,000 passengers a day in the Washington region.

[Bus drivers’ fears of assaults rise to the top of Metrobus challenges]

In recent years, drivers have been spat on, slapped, stabbed, and at least one driver was even Tasered, according to reports. Physical assaults and verbal abuse are taking a toll on the productivity and attendance of those at the forefront of the nation’s sixth-largest bus network, according to a recent federal review of Metro that identifies the rising number of assaults on bus operators as the greatest safety concern for Metrobus.

Many of the cases stem from disputes over fare payments.

In the Nov. 6 incident, which occurred at a bus stop at North Capitol and P streets NW, police said West walked past the driver without paying. When the driver asked him to pay, police said West walked toward him and “punched the operator multiple times in the face with a closed fist.”

Another bus rider pulled West off the driver and forced him off the bus, police said.  The driver was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to Metro.

Police said West faces assault charges in the District where, under D.C. law, assault on a bus operator could carry an enhanced penalty at sentencing.