*It seems that Uber has another crisis on its hands. That’s because in Denver, one of its drivers shot and killed a passenger. It happened around 3am local time on Friday morning as the vehicle passed over the University Boulevard bridge and forced the closure of southbound Interstate 25 for more than five hours.
Denver police identified the suspect as Michael Andre Hancock, 29, who told a witness that he shot his customer, Hyun Kim, several times in self-defense after being attacked while on the highway.
Here’s more from KDVR/Fox 59:
According to the probable cause statement released by Denver police, a witness called 911 and said he saw a man slumped over in the passenger seat of a silver sedan on the side of the road. The witness said the driver told him he was an Uber driver and his passenger tried to attack him, so he shot the passenger. The witness then handed the phone to the driver, who identified himself as Hancock.
Police arrived at the scene and found the passenger lying on the passenger-side foot well of the Nissan suffering from gunshot wounds. Police performed CPR before Denver Health Paramedics arrived. The man was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Hancock was placed into handcuffs and an officer removed a semiautomatic pistol from his waistband, according to the statement.
Hancock was also taken to a hospital because he said he was having trouble breathing.
A detective found 10 spent 40-caliber cartridges on the left shoulder of the freeway near University Boulevard. A trail of blood was also found nearby.
Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said detectives confirmed Hancock worked for the ride-sharing company. The shooting is being treated as a homicide. The passenger has not been identified.
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UPDATE: 29 YO Michael Hancock has been arrested for investigation of first degree murder for the early morning shooting on I-25 and Unversity. pic.twitter.com/YVvKFVy5ge
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) June 1, 2018
As far as Michael Hancock, the shooter is concerned, his father, also named Michael Hancock, described his son as a good guy.
“He’s a Christian kid and he’s all about making the world a better place,” Hancock’s father told KDVR.
Hancock said his son is a great husband and father.
“I wish I had been that attentive to my kids,” the elder Hancock said.
Needless to say, the incident gives Uber another high profile headache to deal with. In fact, the company has a policy that prohibits its drivers from carrying firearms while driving passengers.
“We are all deeply troubled by the events in Denver today,” Uber said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the families of those involved and we will continue working closely with police.”
Get the rest of this story at KDVR/Fox 59.
