An Uber driver acted in self-defense when he opened fire on a carjacker in New Orleans on Saturday, police said.
The 35-year-old male Uber driver, who police did not identify, had a 29-year-old female passenger in his car when the confrontation occurred at the intersection of North Rampart and Canal Street around 1:30 a.m., police said.
Police said the driver was stopped at a stoplight when a man with a gun got out of a nearby silver sedan and demanded that the Uber driver and his passenger get out of their vehicle. As the Uber driver was getting out, police said he grabbed a gun from his door and opened fire on the suspected carjacker, The Times-Picayune reported.
A 29-year-old bystander suffered a graze wound from the gunfire and was treated at a nearby hospital.
NOPD Eighth District Cmdr. Nicholas Gernon said the suspect “made a motion” that caused the Uber driver to fear for his life, The Times-Picayune reported.
“At this point, we feel as though he was acting in response to a threat to his life,” Cmdr. Gernon said during a press conference Saturday. “But we will put the entire package together for the district attorney’s office to give them the opportunity to review our work independently, and see if there’s anything there he might have some criminal culpability for.”
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The gun was registered to the Uber driver, who remained on scene after the shooting to hand over his weapon, Cmdr. Gernon said.
“At this point, he is the victim of a carjacking,” he said.
Police could not say for certain whether the suspect, identified as 28-year-old Andre Satcher, also fired his weapon, The Times-Picayune reported.
Despite the shooting, Mr. Satcher drove off in the Uber driver’s vehicle and led officers on a chase down Canal Street, police said. He reportedly hit several vehicles before he exited the car and attempted to flee on foot. He got a few steps before officers apprehended him, Cmdr. Gernon said.
Mr. Satcher was booked at Orleans Parish jail on several traffic violations as well as charges of carjacking, armed robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon and negligent injuring. Bond was set at 400,000.
Uber’s gun policy prohibits riders and drivers from carrying firearms of any kind in a vehicle while using the app, The Times-Picayune noted. “Anyone who violates this policy may lose access to Uber,” the policy states.
It was not immediately clear whether the driver would keep his job with Uber.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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