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Uber Driver Shoots, Kills Passenger in Denver

By Christopher Coble, Esq. on June 01, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Uber's Firearms Prohibition Policy "prohibits riders and drivers from carrying firearms of any kind in a vehicle while using our app," and provides that "[a]nyone who violates this policy may lose access to Uber." But at least one of their drivers was carrying a gun, evidenced by a fatal shooting on a Denver, Colorado interstate.

Police say the passenger, who was shot multiple times, was pronounced dead at an area hospital. And the driver, Michael Hancock, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Deadly "Conflict"

While Hancock was also treated at a hospital for unspecified injuries, investigators asserted they "can't speculate what went on in the car." At this point, it is unclear whether Hancock was actually on the job when the shooting occurred, shortly before 3 a.m. Friday morning. Police only confirmed there was a "conflict" in the car, and the silver sedan in which the two men were riding crashed into a wall at the end of an onramp. Police shutdown several lanes of Interstate 25 in Denver as they attempted to interview other drivers and gather information.

An Uber spokesperson said the company is "deeply troubled" by what happened, adding, "Our thoughts are with the families of those involved, and we will continue working closely with police."

Uber Under Fire

While the facts of the incident have yet to fully emerge, this is far from the first brush with the law for the ridesharing app's drivers. A CNN investigation of police reports and court records for 20 major U.S. cities found over 100 Uber drivers were arrested, wanted by law enforcement, or named in civil lawsuits, 31 of whom were convicted for crimes including false imprisonment, forcible touching, and rape. And California's Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division (CPED) fined Uber $1.13 million for failing to adequately investigate and respond to over 2,000 reports of inebriated drivers the company received from passengers in just one year.

The latest incident is just more bad news for a company that had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad last year.

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