Chicago man punched Rockford bus driver after refusing to pay fare, police say

ROCKFORD, Ill. - A Chicago man has been charged with assaulting a Rockford bus driver after reportedly refusing to pay a bus fare last week.

What we know:

Rockford police say officers were called around 4:30 p.m. on July 8 to a bus stop at Broadway and South 5th Street.

There, they found the 69-year-old bus driver with his left eye swollen shut. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

According to police, security video showed the suspect, identified as 24-year-old John Davis, and a woman sneaking onto the bus without paying. When the driver asked them to pay, they refused and would not get off the bus.

The driver then called security, and at that point, police say Davis spat on the driver before leaving the bus. When the driver followed Davis off the bus, Davis allegedly punched him in the face.

Detectives later found Davis in a Rockford Housing Authority (RHA) unit in the 1400 block of Meadow Court. He reportedly tried to run but was arrested.

John Davis | RPD

Police say Davis recently arrived in Rockford and that it's believed he was illegally living in the RHA unit with the woman he was with during the assault.

Davis has been banned from all RHA properties for life, police said.

What's next:

Davis is charged with aggravated battery in a public place, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery to a senior citizen, and resisting arrest.

He is being held at the Winnebago County Jail. Police say additional charges and arrests are possible.