An Uber driver has been charged with beating two women with a snow brush Tuesday evening in Streeterville after videos showing the attack were posted to YouTube.
Chieh Wang, 37, of the 4300 block of South Talman, faces two counts of battery and one count of criminal damage to property, both misdemeanors, according to Chicago Police.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, two women, ages 29 and 32, requested a car from the ride-hailing company in the 200 block of East Grand Avenue, police said. When the driver, identified as Wang, arrived at the scene, he was told a third passenger wasn’t there yet.
Wang then refused the ride and an argument ensued, police said.
He left the scene, but returned a short time later and began to strike both women with a snow brush, police said. Officers were called to the scene and Wang was subsequently taken into custody. One woman’s cell phone was damaged during the incident.
A video posted to YouTube shows a man swinging the snow brush wildly at two women near a silver car parked outside a Whole Foods Market. One of the women yells, “What the f— is wrong with you?” Someone across the street who was filming the attack runs toward the man yelling, “Hey, stop! Stop it! I’m a lawyer, who are you? I’m a lawyer, who are you? Put that down right now!” One of the women then yells, “Call the police!”
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Uber said in a statement "this type of behavior is unacceptable and is not tolerated."
"As soon as we were aware of this incident, we immediately removed this driver's access to Uber," the company said. "We will provide any information to local law enforcement as needed for their investigation."
Wang is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 15, 2016.
