Kennesaw police are looking for an Uber driver they say followed another driver and fired shots into the ground following an argument earlier this month.
Police were called to the area of Pine Drive and Woodland Drive on Feb. 3 and spoke with a man who said he had been in an argument with an Uber driver, later identified as Kenneth Nichols. The man told police he nearly struck Nichols’ car when the driver turned in front of him at a stop sign, according to an incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Uber confirmed that Nichols drove for the company, saying, “Violence of any kind is not tolerated on the Uber platform. As soon as this was reported to us, we removed the driver’s access to the platform while we continue to look into this incident. We’re standing ready to assist law enforcement in their investigation.”
According to the incident report, the victim had been driving along Ridgecrest Drive when Nichols, driving a gray Jeep Compass, made a left-hand turn in front of him. The victim told police he confronted the Uber driver as Nichols dropped off a passenger in the 2500 block of Ridgecrest Drive, letting him know he almost caused a crash.
Nichols then got out of his vehicle and “acted like he wanted to fight,” the incident report states. He told the victim “I got something for you” before walking back toward the Jeep, according to a warrant for Nichols’ arrest. The victim then drove away toward Woodland Drive because he said he thought Nichols had a gun.
Then, the victim noticed Nichols was driving behind him. Not wanting Nichols to follow him home, the man turned left, and when he reached the intersection of Pine Drive, he heard a “loud bang,” according to the report. As soon as he heard the noise, the man sped away toward Kennesaw Due West Road.
Officers also spoke with the Uber passenger, who confirmed she had taken the ride and provided police with details about the driver from the app, the incident report states. She told police her driver did stop at the stop sign, and that the other driver had been traveling very fast on Ridgecrest Drive, but that she did not see or hear an altercation.
Investigators contacted Nichols who, on a recorded phone call, confirmed he fired into the ground “to let the victim know he had a gun,” according to the arrest warrant.
An Uber spokesperson said the company has a no-firearms policy. It also requires drivers to have their own auto liability insurance policy in compliance with state mandatory minimums. Nichols did not have an active insurance policy, according to the warrant.
As of Tuesday morning, Nichols had not been arrested. He faces multiple charges, including reckless conduct, simple assault firearm and driving without insurance.
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