Authorities in D.C. arrested six juveniles and two adults who were videoed pushing a woman off a Metrobus after she allegedly told them to stop cursing. According to FOX 5, Metro Transit Police tracked down the juveniles by going to local schools on the route that the bus plied. Authorities also said they received assistance from multiple school administrators.
The victim was identified as Kyla Thurston. And the two adults arrested in connection with the alleged assault were identified as 27-year-old Emoni Hubbard and Terry Barnes, 35. The two suspects reportedly appeared in court on Monday. Hubbard received a citation charge and his court date is yet to be set.
Detectives managed to identify and arrest the suspects by reviewing videos of the alleged assault. In one of the videos, Thurston can be seen standing close to the bus’ backdoor as the suspects are heard angrily talking to her. The group is also heard repeatedly ordering her to “get off the bus.” And when the bus door opens after the driver stops, the juveniles are seen attacking Thurston and forcing her off the bus.
The video of the incident was recorded by a mother who told the news outlet that Thurston had offered her seat to her after she boarded the bus with her family. The mother said that the “rowdy kids” took issue with Thurston telling them to stop cursing.
She added that the suspects pushed Thurston and threw objects at her, FOX 5 reported. She said others in the group also choked her while they were forcing her off the bus.
“I know how teenagers can be,” the woman said. “I know what it is, but I would never … I don’t even care if the person is 30, I would never go that far with disrespecting them. I wouldn’t want nobody to do that to my family.”
Thurston also told the news outlet that the bus driver did not stop after she repeatedly asked him to do so. “The bus driver made no attempt to stop the bus. He didn’t alert local authorities or anything to my defense,” she recalled. “Even after I’m yelling at the top of my lungs, ‘Stop the bus – let me off the bus,’ the bus driver never stopped.”
Thurston sustained injuries from the assault. She said the incident has emotionally affected her. “Watching the video myself personally, it startled me – and I’m still startled about it,” she said. “I didn’t want to come forth at first – but I don’t fear nobody but the Lord.”
#NOW @fox5dc immediately reached-out to @wmata after seeing a VID that appears to show a woman violently shoved-off of a W4 bus by a group of teens & possible adults. The woman who recorded cried through our interview saying something needs to be done. pic.twitter.com/jILPy0Y9DF
— Stephanie Ramirez (@RamirezReports) October 18, 2022
