Metro bus driver attacked in historic South-Central LA – NBC Los Angeles

A Metro bus passenger who spat on and punched a driver was being sought by police after the attack late Monday in Los Angeles’ historic South Central neighborhood.

Officers responded to Martin Luther King Jr. and Avalon Boulevard around 10 p.m. Monday. A woman believed to be homeless hit the bus driver and spat at him before leaving the scene, police said.

The attack is one of several recent crimes in the Metro transit system, which also include attacks on bus drivers.

“Bus drivers are essential front-line workers whose primary responsibility is to safely transport nearly one million passengers to their destinations every day,” Metro spokesman Jose Uvaldo said in a statement. “Passenger behavior that leads to assault or endangers the safety of the driver is unacceptable.”

The driver’s injuries were treated at the scene. Police said the driver ordered the woman to exit the bus and then, as she attacked, activated an electronic display on the outside of the bus that showed the words “Emergency Call 911.”

It was initially unclear why the woman was asked to leave the bus. An exact description of the attacker was not initially available.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.