Napa Police Investigate Racist Attack On Uber Driver As Hate Crime
NAPA (CBS SF) – Police in Napa are investigating an alleged attack on an Uber driver by one of his passengers as a hate crime after the passenger became abusive because the driver was from Afghanistan.
The incident was called in to police at about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16. The call reported an assault on an Uber driver on Silverado Trail in Napa.
According to police, the driver had picked up a man and a woman from a winery in St. Helena and was driving them to a hotel in Napa.
The driver said that after picking the couple up, the male passenger asked him where he was from. When he replied that he was from Afghanistan, the man became visibly upset and started verbally berating the driver.
According to the driver, the passenger said the driver needed to leave the country and that he was not welcome in America.
At that point, the Uber driver pulled his car over and ended the ride with the couple. The male passenger, who was reportedly intoxicated, then became aggressive, grabbing at the driver and threatening to kill him.
The driver eventually drove away from the couple. A short time later, he pulled over to report the incident to the police. However, the male passenger had chased his car down and began hitting and shaking the vehicle. The Uber driver was upset, but escaped the confrontation unharmed.
Napa police are currently searching for the male passenger and his female companion and have asked Uber to provide information on the passengers involved.