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CTA Driver Escapes Through Window as Armed Man Seized Bus, Prosecutors Say; Suspect Detained
Quentin Lewis, 36, is accused of pulling a gun on a CTA bus on South Pulaski, ordering the driver to run red lights, and threatening passengers. The 35-year-old driver escaped through her window; a judge ordered Lewis detained Thursday.
A 36-year-old Chicago man has been ordered held in custody after prosecutors said he boarded a CTA bus on the Southwest Side, drew a handgun, and forced the driver to keep moving through red lights while threatening her and passengers.
Quentin Lewis faces felony counts including armed kidnapping, possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated unlawful restraint, and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, according to court records. He appeared for a detention hearing Thursday and was ordered detained.
The episode unfolded Tuesday just before 8:30 p.m. in the 5400 block of South Pulaski Road, police said. According to prosecutors, Lewis pulled out a gun and demanded that the driver not stop, repeatedly telling her to "go" and ordering her to blow through multiple red lights. Video circulating on social media captured a voice saying "go" over and over.
The driver, a 35-year-old woman, eventually stopped the bus and climbed out through her driver's-side window, fearing the man would attack her, authorities said. Keith Hill, president of the union that represents CTA bus operators, said the driver is recovering.
"She's doing good. She's taking this hard mentally," Hill said.
After getting off her bus, the driver ran to a second bus to call for help, Hill said. That second operator saw her running and stepped in to assist, he added.
Prosecutors said Lewis then left the bus and climbed into a nearby car that was unlocked and still running. Police found him there with a gun still in his hands, according to the charges.
Court records show Lewis has a criminal history dating to 2014, with past charges including domestic battery, resisting arrest, and illegal possession of a weapon.
Hill said the incident underscores the need for stronger safety protections on CTA buses, a demand his union has been pressing.
"It's crazy. The environment has changed and we really need somebody to step in and help us," Hill said. He also pushed back on official accounts of declining crime. "We are hearing throughout the city and the CTA that crime is down," he said. "That's not what we're experiencing."
The case adds to a growing debate over operator safety on the region's bus network, where drivers work alone behind the wheel and have limited physical barriers between themselves and riders. Union leaders have argued that assaults and threats against operators are undercounted and that the transit agency needs to do more to protect the workforce that keeps the system running.