Lawrence Madden Jr. told reporters on Tuesday that he was the man seen in a viral video being body slammed by a Chicago Transit Authority bus driver earlier this month.
In the video that circulated quickly on social media, a man is seen squared up against a CTA bus driver. Then another bus driver comes up from behind and slams the man to the ground.
Madden told reporters there is more to the story than what was seen in the video.
"I'm getting up, trying to protect myself, defend myself," Madden clarified.
Madden said he was on his way to his father's house on June 11, riding the #49 Western bus. He alleged the driver stopped to talk to another CTA bus driver at 77th Street and Western Avenue. The two were reportedly talking in the middle of the street for about 10 minutes, according to Madden.
"He literally got upset because I was telling him that he was unprofessional and I was trying to get to the house," Madden said. "He said, 'I'll get you to the house when I get you there.'"
Madden went on to describe what happened next.
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"He got off the bus ... and as I'm getting off the bus, he hit me and kicked me three times. So, I'm getting up."
That's where the video comes in.
Madden said he now has a concussion and other injuries from the incident.
"I can't sleep, I've got headaches, depression, paranoid," he added.
Attorneys Arielle Williams and Tamara Walker said they have subpoenaed the video from that bus. The CTA told NBC 5 in a statement that it fired both drivers last week after an internal investigation. It said the two employees were terminated last week, "for violation of several CTA rules, including fighting while on duty, conduct unbecoming a CTA employee and failure to report the incident."
The statement went on, "the behavior of these former employees was unacceptable and is not at all reflective of the thousands of men and women who take pride and responsibility in their CTA duties."
Madden's attorneys said they want to see more done.
“If it was me or if it was Mr. Madden who did this to a regular citizen, we would be charged with a battery," Williams said. "These CTA drivers need to be charged with a battery.”
The attorneys are planning to file a lawsuit against the transit authority.
