DC Mayor Bowser responds to woman being assaulted on Metrobus

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - On Wednesday, FOX 5 asked D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser if she had seen a video reported on by FOX 5 showing a woman violently shoved off of a Metrobus by what appears to be a group of teens – and possibly some adults. The Mayor answered - no – and that she would look at it. The Chief of Police indicated the same.

FOX 5 got to speak with both at the opening of a D.C. Police Cadet Training facility in Southeast D.C., to which the Mayor also responded after fielding more questions on the matter: "You asked me about a disturb -- I don’t even have to see a video. If someone is pushed off a bus, I imagine it’s traumatizing and it shouldn’t happen and that is not any type of crime we want to have happen in our city at any time and part of what we’re talking about today is that we have the police force that we need to respond and patrol and to assist Metro and it’s properties – including the bus and including the train stations. That’s what we know will help us keep a safer city."

READ MORE: 'Disturbing' video shows a woman being attacked, pushed off a DC Metrobus

The Mayor also said she supports WMATA’s decision to crack down on fare evasion as a civil matter after the D.C. Council decriminalized the act.

"We’re also focused on what some people might call ‘lower level crimes’ that can lead to more aggressive crimes. We’ve had this conversation about Metro and I agree wholeheartedly with the general manager, that fare evasion – that disruptions on Metro or the Metrobus lead to more lawlessness and feelings of people not being safe and maybe even more crime. So I think it’s important that we focus on those crimes as well."

FOX 5 also asked WMATA several questions, including what the role and responsibilities are of the bus driver involved. A statement emailed to FOX 5 read:

Metro’s General Manager has personally reached out to the victim to extend his apologies for what she experienced on the W4 bus on Monday evening. MTPD and Metro leadership continue their investigation into this incident. Generally, bus operators are only permitted to stop at authorized bus stops unless they become aware that an incident jeopardizing safety is occurring on their bus. In those instances, they can stop where it is safe to do so and use an onboard system to send an alarm and contact the Bus Operations Control Center for assistance from a supervisor or Transit Police. The investigation will determine whether proper procedures were followed in this case.

 While it is not possible to have MTPD officers aboard all 1,500 buses in the fleet, MTPD routinely patrols buses throughout the region and uses data to focus on routes with a high number of incidents. We encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses unlawful behavior to contact MTPD immediately by calling 202-962-2121, texting MyMTPD (696873), or calling 911.

The video obtained by FOX 5 shows a brutal assault caught on a cellphone camera onboard a W4 Metrobus in Southeast D.C.. In the video, individuals who appear to be juveniles - and possibly some adults – can be seen striking and shoving passenger Kyla Thurston.

Thurston spoke with FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick Wednesday and told her the situation began after she asked a group of youth sitting nearby to stop using foul language. Thurston tells FOX 5 she had just given up her seat to a young woman with children before making the comments to others on the bus.

 "At that point, the kids became unruly. They started being disrespectful, like saying things to me," Thurston said. "Then next thing you know, there were objects being throw at me, and I was just like, ‘Thank You, Lord,' because throughout the whole incident the only thing I could recall was the kids hitting me and kicking me - and I had no defense."

 Thurston said she asked the bus driver numerous times to stop, but the bus kept moving. "The bus driver made no attempt to stop the bus. He didn't alert local authorities or anything to my defense," she said. "Even after I'm yelling at the top of my lungs, ‘Stop the bus – let me off the bus,' the bus driver never stopped."

READ MORE: DC Metrobus attack victim speaks exclusively with FOX 5 about what led up to brutal assault

 Eventually, the bus did stop at another stop location. That's when Thurston said she was kicked and pushed off of the bus by her attackers.

At this time no arrests have been made in connection with the attack. Transit Police are still investigating and asking people with information to contact them.

FOX 5 also asked about the Safe Passage Program, that’s supposed to help protect children on their routes to and from school. A city official explained there are about 200 staffers positioned along the routes to and from school and at certain Metro stations to serve as an adult presence. None are stationed on the actual school buses.

FOX 5 reached out to DCPS multiple times since Tuesday. A Spokesperson answered on Wednesday evening, directing questions to Metro Transit Police.

During the Wednesday news conference, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also directed the conversation toward the upcoming D.C. Council vote on a long-awaited re-write of the D.C. Criminal Code.

"We want to make sure in this re-write of the criminal justice code, that we’re not throwing away tools that MPD has right now or that Metro Transit have right now that would make our city safer," the Mayor added.