ATLANTA — An Uber driver who allegedly shot and killed his passenger after a dispute on Wednesday was arrested and charged with felony murder on Thursday, Atlanta Police said. However, the driver's attorney claims his client was acting in self-defense.
On Thursday, police said the 36-year-old driver, who allegedly shot two of three passengers, killing one of them, was arrested and booked into Fulton County Jail. The driver had stayed on the scene of the shooting and had been described as cooperative on Wednesday.
He faces an additional aggravated assault for allegedly shooting the other victim. A third passenger, who was not shot, had also been in the car.
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It began as a dispute of some kind inside the car and ended with the shooting at a Chevron station at the corner of Piedmont Circle and Monroe Drive in northeast Atlanta.
The driver's attorney, Jackie Patterson, claims his client acted in self-defense. On Friday, Patterson spoke to media about the case, claiming that his client feared for his life.
"He shot this individual because his life was in fear from when he saw a weapon from one the passengers - when they told him, 'We gonna kill your [expletive]," Patterson said. "And that's when my client felt that he was in fear and had no choice but to fire his weapon before he got fired upon."
The Fulton County Medical Examiner identified the deceased passenger as 34-year-old Kevin Leonard Fulton. The other injured passenger was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment. The third passenger left the scene.
The incident was captured on the gas station's audio and video surveillance, according to detectives. Authorities said they recovered two guns from the scene and aren't sure if both belong to the driver -- or just one.
Uber has a firearms policy where it prohibits guests and drivers from carrying guns while using its app, according to its website. Read more of its policy here.