NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Broward Sheriff's Office detectives have released surveillance video of a man who they said held a taxicab driver at gunpoint after refusing to pay the fare.
The crime occurred about 1:30 a.m. on the Fourth of July.
BSO spokeswoman Gerdy St. Louis said the driver picked up the rider, named "James," near the 7800 block of Southwest Eighth Street in North Lauderdale. She said once the passenger got inside the cab, the driver told him full payment was required in advance.
That's when investigators said the rider became irate, demanded another cab and pulled a gun on the driver.
Surveillance video from inside the cab shows the driver calling for a second cab and asking his passenger to wait outside. However, the passenger refused and demanded that the driver take him back to the pickup location.
A few minutes later, the driver can be seen in the video holding his hands up, telling the passenger, "Please, man, don't kill me." At one point, the driver can be heard warning the passenger that he's on camera.
St. Louis said the scared driver crashed into a parked car, and the armed passenger left without paying the fare.
Investigators were asking anyone who recognizes the gunman to call the BSO or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
