A very disturbing video captured the moment a young New York City woman, Jennifer Guilbeault, sprayed pepper spray into her Uber driver’s eyes in Manhattan.
The incident happened around 11:20 p.m. on Tuesday at the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 65th Street on the Upper East Side. Guilbeault was riding in the back seat with another young woman when she suddenly attacked the 45-year-old driver, according to police and the dashcam footage.
The driver was talking on the phone while staring at the window when Guilbeault reached around and sprayed him in the face with pepper spray.
The video, which has been circulating on X, Reddit, Instagram, and YouTube, shows the driver repeatedly yelling, “What? What? What?” as he tried to block her attack. Guilbeault held his arm down and sprayed him again as he attempted to open his door and escape. Her friend could be heard pleading, “Jen, Jen, Jen! Jen, what the f**k! What did you do?” after the driver managed to get out of the car.
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{{/usCountry}}Guilbeault stepped out of the car, appearing shocked, while her friend continued questioning her actions. The friend then urged, “OK, take your stuff. Let’s go. We have to go,” before the video cut off.
NYC woman arrested and banned from Uber after assaulting driver
Guilbeault was handcuffed and taken into custody around 12.45 a.m. on Wednesday for a misdemeanour third-degree assault. She got a desk appearance ticket, which meant she had to go back to the court some other time and was let off. It was also officially confirmed she has no previous arrest records.
The colour of the attack is, however, still yet to be determined. After that, Guilbeault cannot use Uber anymore for transportation services.
An Uber spokesperson condemned her actions, stating, “The rider’s actions shown in the video are deplorable. Violence is not tolerated, and the rider has been banned from the Uber platform. We will support police in their investigation however we can.”
The city’s Taxi & Limousine Commission also condemned the assault, stating, “Violence against the city’s drivers, who are simply trying to serve customers and make an honest living, is intolerable and heartbreaking. Anyone who witnesses it or experiences it should always report it to NYPD.”
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The video also sparked online uproars, with a user saying, “NYC Woman randomly maces Uber driver ‘because he's brown’” while another stated, “She was smiling at her friend after assaulting that driver. When the friend continuously confronts her, the assaulter looks like a scared child getting caught doing something bad.”