Crime & Safety

Taxi driver attacked by several men outside Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter

Victim allegedly punched and robbed of money by fare passenger, then has front teeth knocked out during attack by several males after he exited his vehicle to retrieve his money from the suspect.

A taxi cab driver was assaulted by several men and robbed this week after dropping off a passenger near the Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter just south of Midtown.

According to the narrative reported by the Atlanta police officer on the scene, the driver suffered lost front teeth and other facial injuries during the incident in which he was robbed by a single passenger, and later “attacked by several males that were at the location” after exiting his taxi.

According to the officer’s narrative, the incident occurred at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17 in front of the shelter. After picking up his male passenger at 232 Forsyth Street, the driver was asked to drive to a motel located at 140 Pine Street.

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During the ride, the passenger asked the driver if he could use the driver’s identification to check him into the motel because he had lost his. Shortly after the driver refused this request, the perpetrator jump from the back seat of the mini van taxi to the front passenger seat, and then asked the driver to stop in front of the shelter that sits on Pine Street between Peachtree and Courtland streets.

As the victim stopped the vehicle, the perpetrator reportedly punched him in the face, grabbed money that was sitting in the cupholder, and exited the vehicle. The driver also exited the vehicle, but as he approached the perpetrator to get his money back, “he was attacked by several males that were at the location” according to the officer’s narrative.

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During the attack, the victim’s front teeth were knocked out and he received other facial injuries. The taxi driver stated the perpetrator along with the other attackers fled east on Pine toward Courtland.

The assailant from the cab ride is described as a black male, approximately 5-foot-10 in height, having a wig or hair weave (giving an appearance of having longer hair), and wearing a black coat and black shorts. No descriptions were provided of the other men involved in the attack.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Atlanta Police Department at 404-577-8477.

The incident occurred two days after the City of Atlanta scored a major legal win over the Metropolitan Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless that could lead to the 2013 closing of the Task Force-operated Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter where police have said a certain amount of criminal activity that occurs in Midtown originates from those staying at and around the shelter.


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