CATS provides update to shooting incident, safety efforts

A Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus driver is out of a job and a bus passenger has been banned from all city transit following a May 18 incident on a CATS bus where both the operator and passenger produced fire arms and fired shots. Both men are expected to recover from their injuries. The other two passengers on the bus at the time of the incident were not injured.

CATS Interim CEO Brent Cagle held a media briefing May 24 to provide an update on CATS understanding of the incident and to outline steps the authority is taking to ensure both its operators and passengers are provided a safety environment while using transit.

CATS reports there is video of the incident, but its release will depend on a timeline approved by the Transportation Security Administration, which is reviewing the video.

The authority provided a rough timeline of the May 18 incident where David Fullard, an RATP Dev employee contracted with CATS, refused to let passenger Omarri Shariff Tobias off the bus in between stops. The situation escalated into an argument that lasted several minutes before Tobias produced a firearm. Fullard stopped the bus and produced his own firearm and shots were fired with both men sustaining injuries. After being shot, Tobias exited the bus via the back door.

Tobias is being charged with assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injuries, communicating threats and carrying a concealed firearm. His bond was set at $250,000 on May 24, and a judge has banned him from all city transit.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not yet announced whether charges will be brought against Fullard. However, he will no longer work as a bus operator. CATS says it is the authority’s understanding “that RATP Dev has concluded the termination process for Mr. Fullard.”

RATP Dev has provided transit management services for CATS since 2003, with its most recent contract renewed in 2019. CATS notes Section 14 Employee Work Rules of the RATP Dev’s Standards of Excellence states, “possession of a firearm or other weapon prohibited by the company’s workplace violence policy while on duty or on company property is subject to discharge for the first violation.”

“We want to acknowledge this incident is a tragic expression of the gun violence in our community,” Cagle said. “We will not be able to solve this problem on our own. However, CATS is committed to doing what we can to address this with our partners at CMPD and our partners at RATP Dev who employ and manage our bus operators.”

Cagle explained that in addition to de-escalation training received, operators have three methods to request help, including their radio and two silent alarms. One silent alarm opens a live audio feed between the bus and the bus operations control center while the second silent alarm immediately triggers banners on the outside of the bus to display the message, “Call Police 911.” Both silent alarms can be triggered without alerting passengers. Cagle says none of the three methods were used during the May 18 incident.

Additional training, new security firm

“Do I think the driver handled this appropriately? I understand the need for everyone to protect themselves. I also believe this incident may have been avoided had there been other actions,” said Cagle.

CATS says it will offer enhanced customer service and de-escalation training to provide more tools for all CATS and RATP Dev Transit Management of Charlotte transit workers. Cagle also noted the authority’s expanding ambassador program, which he reiterated isn’t a security program, but a customer assistance program that can have the added benefit of de-escalating certain situations.

The authority’s security contract is in transition, with the current provider ending its work, and the Charlotte City Council awarding two contracts to new providers that are set to go into effect in July. The contracts represent a 50 percent increase in security spending, which will also translate into a doubling of security personnel. Cagle explained one of the companies, PSS, agreed prior to the May 18 incident to assuming its contract early.

He also noted that while the incidents like the May 18 shooting dominate news cycles, most of CATS trips occur incident free. He called the current situation “fixable.”

“It’s important to remember the majority of transit operators make good decisions and follow policies, do the right thing everyday,” said Cagle. “They don’t make headlines when they go out of their way to help a passenger struggling with a stroller or help a rider having a mental health emergency, but they are the rule and not the exception.”