( 4UMF NEWS ) Uppercut Bus Driver Charged:
Prosecutors today filed misdemeanor criminal charges against both the driver and female passenger who fought last month on a Cleveland bus, a confrontation that included a vicious uppercut that was captured on a passenger’s cell phone.
Driver Artis Hughes, 59, was charged with assault, while passenger Shi’dea Lane, 25, was hit with a disorderly conduct rap.
The criminal cases, filed in Shaker Heights Municipal Court, were lodged one week after video of the September 18 bus incident began circulating online.
In the video, Hughes can be seen decking Lane with a wicked bolo punch. Witnesses told cops that Lane appeared “drunk” and became verbally abusive to Hughes after she failed to immediately pay her fare. Hughes told investigators that he “protected myself” after Lane “grabbed me in the throat and spit on me in the face.”
Hughes remains suspended without pay from his RTA job, according to an agency spokesperson. He faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1000 fine if convicted of the assault count.
Lane’s lesser charge carries a maximum of 30 days in custody and a $250 fine. In a Facebook posting earlier today, Lane wrote, “God iz an awesome god only god can judge me I love u mommys honey bun 
.”
