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Muni driver attacked with fire extinguisher
SAN FRANCISCO -
A Muni operator was hospitalized on Monday night after a passenger struck him with a fire extinguisher following a heated altercation, authorities said. David Maldonado, 21, of San Francisco was booked on charges of aggravated assault after injuring the operator at Beach and Jones streets, near Fisherman’s Wharf, according to a police report. The incident occurred after an argument between the two men turned physical around 11:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Wilfred Williams of the San Francisco Police Department. Police were notified about the incident by someone nearby, and once they arrived at the scene, Maldonado was arrested without incident. Williams said the operator suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transferred to a nearby hospital. Williams said he did not know where Maldonado found the fire extinguisher, or how he struck the operator with the object. The Muni operator, whose name was not released, was working on an F-Market streetcar. Assaults against Muni operators are not uncommon, according to department data. There have been 67 recorded assaults this year, which amounts to about one incident every three days. Muni spokeswoman Kristen Holland said the department would review onboard videotape and work with the police to determine what caused the incident. She stressed that Muni considers operator safety a top priority. “Like with all our employees, we take every assault very seriously,” said Holland. “Our operators have a very difficult job, and they deserve a violence-free work place.” Drivers are not the only employees of the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency that are under threat. Last week, Muni unveiled a public-awareness campaign that urges motorists to not assault or abuse The City’s Parking Control Officers. Three PCOs have been assaulted to date in 2008; in 2007, 16 were attacked. Danger at the wheel Attacks against Muni drivers 2004: 155 2005: 138 2006: 130 2007: 119 2008: 67 (to date) Source: SFMTA |
