Feb. 22--An Uber driver accused of killing six people in a shooting rampage in Michigan gave rides the same day to several passengers who warned the company about him, including one who called 911 over his driving, company officials said Monday.
Uber officials did not disclose the nature of the complaints they received Saturday about Jason Brian Dalton, 45, of Kalamazoo, who was charged with murder Monday on suspicion of carrying out a series of random shootings on the same day he apparently drove several Uber fares.
One Uber passenger, who took a ride from Dalton about an hour before the first shooting, told local media that he called 911 and contacted Uber after Dalton ran through stop signs and drove through medians and lawns.
Uber representatives declined to clarify whether the company had allowed Dalton to keep driving after receiving several alerts about him, citing the ongoing law enforcement investigation.
Though the transportation company has a policy of immediately suspending drivers accused of violence, Uber's chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, said the firm prefers to first contact the driver and investigate complaints about bad driving, because not all of those complaints "turn out to be 100% fair or accurate."
"In the United States, 911 is the panic button" when serious incidents occur, Sullivan said.
Dalton sat expressionless Monday afternoon as he was arraigned by video in a Kalamazoo County courtroom packed with television cameras, which had gathered to broadcast the news of yet another American mass shooting.
The violence in Kalamazoo did not last a few bloody minutes, as it had in the San Bernardino or Newtown, Conn., mass shootings, but came in waves over five hours. No motive has been given for the shootings.
Investigators counted three crime scenes in Kalamazoo County: an apartment complex, a car dealership and a Cracker Barrel parking lot. Six people were killed and two injured. Officials suspect Dalton of acting alone.
In court on Monday, Dalton showed little emotion as Kalamazoo County District Judge Christopher T. Haenicke took several minutes to read through the 16 criminal charges filed, which included counts of murder, assault and weapons violations.
