TAMPA, Florida — An Uber driver who was being choked by a passenger shot him in the foot Sunday in Clearwater Beach, police said:
Clearwater Police continue to investigate a shooting that occurred in the 400 block of Mandalay Avenue late Sunday.
The shooting occurred inside a vehicle that was stopped at about 10 p.m. on Mandalay Avenue to allow an Uber driver to pick up a passenger. The driver and passenger became involved in a verbal altercation that then grew physical, with the passenger choking the driver at one point.
The driver, who has a concealed weapons permit, then pulled a gun from his waist area. As the struggle continued, the gun went off, striking the passenger in the foot.
The passenger was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa and treated for the gunshot wound. He was identified as Marc Gregory Mermel (DOB 2-1-55). The driver of the car was identified as Steven Rayow, 74.
An investigation is ongoing.
{Uber is an American international transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, California.}
