Cops: Uber driver arrested after mistakenly shooting passenger

HOLLYWOOD – An Uber driver was arrested after he accidentally shot a teenage passenger Sunday while moving his gun on the seat, police said.

The shooting happened near the Hollywood Police Station, where driver Adrian Harper had stopped to pick up more passengers. Surveillance video shows two passengers racing into the police department for help. The video then shows police and coming to teen.

Police would not identify the girl who was shot. WPLG-Ch. 10 identified her as Baily Braun, 15, who was riding from Pembroke Pines to Aventura with her boyfriend.

Braun was struck in the ankle and the bullet exited her heel. She was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital.

“I didn’t know I got shot at first,” Braun told WPLG. “When I moved my foot, I an the ambulance aid of the just saw blood coming out.”

Harper has a concealed carry permit, which makes it lawful for him to have his weapon concealed in the car. However, all gun holders — licensed or not — may transport a gun or another weapon only if it is securely encased, such as in a glove compartment, snapped in a holster, or in a gun case, said Will Farrugia, a firearms instructor with the Florida Firearms Training in Deerfield Beach.

Harper told police the firearm was near his left leg on the seat of the car. He said he was moving it toward the door to secure it in his holster when it went off.

“He advised that he did not realize he had his finger inside the trigger guard and accidentally pulled the trigger,” hitting the girl directly behind him, a police report states.

A passenger, Ebony Collins, told police she heard a loud bang as she loaded things into the trunk of the car. She ran to the Police Department for help.

Harper was arrested, though not booked in jail, on a charge of culpable negligence. He was given a citation to appear in misdemeanor court. But that’s not the only problem. Uber removed Harper’s access to the Uber app.

According to Uber’s terms and conditions, no driver or passenger is allowed to have a gun. In addition, people under age 18 are not allowed to use the ride-hailing service unless accompanied by a guardian. A rider must be at least 18 to have an Uber account and request rides. A driver should decline a ride request if the person requesting is under the age of 18, according to Uber.

“This is deeply troubling and our thoughts are with the rider and her family as she recovers,” Uber said in a statement.