Uber driver arrested for assault, dangerous ride he gave passenger

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Uber passenger Anton Harris says he was assaulted, called the n-word and then nearly crashed.  Harris says he is still fuming hours after a degrading and dangerous ride with a driver Monday morning.  

"You violated me man, in front of my son, not once but twice - and you almost got us killed," Harris said. 

He was headed to dialysis treatment with his 10-year-old Antone Jr. He uses Uber because he does not have a car. The trouble started after asking the driver if they could first stop at a gas station on Tireman and Epworth.

"I asked him, I said is it okay if you take us to the gas station so I can get something to eat while I am on the machine," Harris said. "He said yeah. Before I can come out, my son came in and said he was cussing like tell you 'mf-ing father to come on.' So I got in the car like 'Hey man you don't have to be cussing, I didn't take that long.'" 

Harris says the driver demanded he and his son get out of the van. But he refused because the ride was already paid for and he could've missed his treatment. Then Harris says the driver used the racial slur.

"He called me the n-word dog, I guess he said that in order to taunt me to do something to him," Harris said. "So I can get into trouble, or so I would get out of the car."

The driver then allegedly got out of the van and opened Harris' door, lunging at him as if he would punch him and then kicking him.

"I stood up in the van - I never got out of the van," Harris said. "When I stood up in the van, he ran around got into the car and just started flying up Livernois.

Harris says the driver ran red lights, drove in bike lanes and nearly crashed into another vehicle at Livernois and Davison.

"We came this close to that car hitting us," Harris said. "Like, for real."

And officers from the 12th Precinct met them there -- where they arrested the driver. Harris is relieved he and his son survived the wild ride and that he kept
his cool.

"If I would've jumped on that man, I would have been in some serious trouble man," Harris said. "They would've given me the book. My son would have been displaced, I would have been trying to find a way to get bond money and all types of miscellaneous stuff."

And as a single dad-his son could've ended up in Child Protective Services. That driver is in police custody at Detroit Detention Center.