A tense Monday night in Midwood ended with a 16-year-old boy in the hospital and a city bus driver in handcuffs after an argument outside a B6 turned violent, police said.
The clash unfolded just after 9 p.m. at Bay Parkway and East 2nd Street, where officers say the teen was left with facial injuries. He was taken to Maimonides Medical Center and is expected to recover, according to police. The driver was detained at the scene.
What police said
Investigators were told that the 42-year-old driver and the teen got into a heated back-and-forth outside the bus before things escalated, according to News 12 New York. Police say the driver then punched the 16-year-old multiple times.
News 12 New York reports that officers took the driver into custody at the intersection, and that detectives are still sorting through what exactly led up to the confrontation as they decide on formal charges.
Driver safety and recent incidents
This is not the only recent case of violence involving bus operators in Brooklyn. In a separate incident, a B42 driver in Canarsie was punched on Feb. 14 and needed hospital treatment, according to Brooklyn Eagle.
Episodes like the Canarsie assault and Monday night's clash in Midwood keep fueling concerns over what actually happens in that tense window between a routine dispute and a full-on attack, and how effectively on-board conflicts are calmed before someone gets hurt.
What happens next
Police say charges are pending and that the case will be handed off to prosecutors for review, according to News 12 New York. The outlet also reported that it reached out to the MTA for comment. The transit agency typically conducts its own workplace review alongside any criminal investigation.
