A Comfort Cab taxi driver has been charged with common assault after a dispute with a passenger, according to Saskatoon Police.
The altercation was caught on camera. The video was taken by a witness across the street and shows the incident taking place on a curb outside a home. The video was posted on social media on Thursday, but was captured on April 27th; it has racked up over 10,000 views on Facebook.
In the video, you can see the driver and the passenger in an argument, the passenger is in the back seat of the cab with the door open. Police say the altercation was over a dispute with the fare.
The video goes on to show the 45 year old driver also speaking loudly to another person standing outside a home before trying to remove the 45 year old female passenger from the back seat of the vehicle.
Eventually, the driver gets back in the cab and drives away with the back door still open and the passenger still inside with her feet on the road. According to police, she suffered minor injuries.
Comfort Cab says they are aware of the video and learned of the incident shortly after it happened. The driver was suspended from driving a taxi by the cab company and the City of Saskatoon Taxi Bylaw Manager shortly after the incident occurred.
“No matter what the circumstances, the action taken by the driver as seen in the video is not acceptable.” Comfort Cab said in a statement.
A police investigation is now underway and Comfort Cab believes the in-car security footage of the incident will help determine the outcome of the investigation.
The matter is now before the courts, and Comfort Cab says they have no further comment.