An Uber Eats driver has been charged with killing one of his customers late Saturday night, just days after he started working for the company.
Robert Bivines turned himself into police in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday after the department issued a statement they had a warrant charging the 36-year-old with felony murder.
He is accused of killing 30-year-old Ryan Thornton while delivering food from the nearby Mexican restaurant Tin Lizzy’s to his Buckhead apartment complex.
The incident was also caught on surveillance video at the Pharr Court South condominium.
Robert Bivines (left) turned himself into police in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday after the department issued a statement accusing him of murdering 30-year-old Ryan Thornton (right)
Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said in a statement that the Thornton was walking away from Bivines’ car when they started speaking to each other again, causing Thornton to turn around and walk back towards the car. Shots were then fired. Bivines is pictured Monday
The incident was also caught on surveillance video at the Pharr Court South condominium
Thornton exited the apartment and exchanged a few words with Bivines before the fatal shooting, witnesses told investigators after the incident.
Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said in a statement that the Thornton was walking away from Bivines’ car when they started speaking to each other again, causing Thornton to turn around and walk back towards the car.
Bivines then allegedly fired four bullets through the passenger-side window into Thornton’s torso, WSB-TV
Bivines then allegedly fired four bullets through the passenger-side window into Thornton’s torso, WSB-TV.
As Thornton was falling to the ground, Bivines apparently whipped his white Volkswagon out of the parking lot and far from the scene.
Thornton then called his girlfriend, who attempted to administer aid. He was pronounced dead at the Grady Memorial Hospital a few hours later.
But according to Bivines’ lawyer, Jackie Patterson, the driver was acting in self defense.
She told Channel 2 that Thornton, angry about how long the delivery had taken, threatened Bivines and started walking towards his car, motioning at his pocket.
‘My client had no choice but to defend himself,’ Patterson said.
Bivines is scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday.
As Thornton was falling to the ground, Bivines apparently whipped his white Volkswagon out of the parking lot and far from the scene
But according to Bivines’ lawyer, Jackie Patterson, the driver was acting in self defense
He had only been working for Uber for a few days when the incident occurred.
Bivines was able to start working for the company, which does background tests, because it only tracks criminal records back as far as seven years.
Because of that, the pre-screening didn’t catch charges of aggravated assault in DeKalb county from nine years ago. Bivines pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of battery in 2010 and served a year of probation, according to court records.
‘We are shocked and saddened by this senseless act of violence and our hearts go out to [Ryan Thornton’s] friends and family,’ Uber Eats said in a statement.
‘We have been working with the Atlanta Police Department and the driver can no longer access the app.’