Chicago man suing former Lyft driver after she allegedly pulled gun, used homophobic slur
A Lyft driver is accused of pulling a gun on a passenger and using a homophobic slur.
The man who says it happened to him is now suing the company.
The victim says he was just getting into a Lyft as he and a friend were leaving a bar. The next thing he knows the driver is pointing a gun in his face.
"It was like a giant gun in my face and it was really close to my face,” said Charlie Calvin.
Calvin says it was the last thing he expected getting into a Lyft. He and a friend called for a car outside the bar sidetracks in Boystown on September 1st. His attorney says when the driver made a wrong turn, things then took a turn for the worse.
“At that moment the Lyft driver reached into her center console, pulled out a gun, she turned around and she pointed in the face of the two passengers,” said attorney Bryant Greening.
“I was kind of startled at first. I didn't really know what to think. And then I realized I kind of had a gun in my face,” Calvin said.
Calvin and his fellow passenger got out to take a photo of the car's license plate when the driver approached them with the gun.
“The Lyft driver got out of the car, chased them and said ‘I'll blast you’ and then used a homophobic slur,” Greening said.
Calvin’s friend snapped a picture of the driver holding a 9 mm gun in her hand.
"At first I don't know how to explain it. It's kind of like it wasn't really happening, but it was. Everything happened so fast,” Calvin said.
Police arrested Jaleesa Rance about a mile away and charged with her misdemeanor assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Lyft has since fired her. But Calvin is suing for damages and says he'll never feel comfortable using a ride sharing service again.
“I was never really nervous before but there is always kind of that thought in the back of my head. This did happen to me,” Calvin said.
Calvin is suing for upwards of $300k in damages. FOX 32 reached out to Lyft for comment and still have not heard back.