OC Uber driver who shot suspect allegedly assaulting woman could face charges

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - A man was hospitalized after being shot by a rideshare driver who allegedly witnessed the man assaulting a woman and took action to stop the attack.

On June 2 around 7:50 p.m., an Uber driver was dropping off a passenger in the 7100 block of Custer Way in the city of Stanton when he saw a man assaulting a woman nearby, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said. 

It is unclear what happened next, but authorities said the rideshare driver shot the suspect. 

The man assaulting the woman, only identified as a 20-year-old, sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition. 

Details surrounding the shooting and what led to it were not released. 

The sheriff's office said the rideshare driver remained at the scene and called dispatch to report the shooting. He was interviewed by investigators and released at the scene. He may face charges pending further investigation, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The woman who was assaulted was treated at the scene for the injuries sustained during the assault.

On Monday night, Uber issued the following statement in response to the shooting incident:

"The reported details are frightening. We’re continuing to look into this and are standing ready to assist law enforcement on their investigation."

Uber also said they removed the driver’s access to the app pending an investigation. 

The Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Sheriff’s Dispatch at 714-647-7000. You can remain anonymous by calling Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or visiting ocsheriff.gov/occrimestoppers.