Uber driver named main suspect in fatal shooting

Interstate 25 was closed for 5 hours in Denver yesterday while police investigated the shooting of 45 year-old Hyun Kim using the ride sharing app Uber.

The primary suspect in this developing case is 29 year-old Michael Andre Hancock, who has been driving for Uber for approximately three years.

The Denver police department received a call at 2:45 a.m. from a man on the interstate who called in regarding an Uber driver who claimed “his ride tried to attack him and the driver shot him,” CNN reports.

On the scene, police found Kim unconscious on the floor board of the front passenger seat with 10 .40-caliber bullet cartridges on the interstate near the vehicle that were consistent with the Ruger SR 40 pistol which police removed from Hancock’s waistband.

Uber released a statement that they “are deeply troubled by the events in Denver” and that “the driver’s access to the app has been removed, and we will continue working closely with police,” Uber said.

This incident comes to light as Uber has been under fire for the past two to three years on account of violence and sexual assault allegations against drivers by riders. Just 2 years ago Uber and Lyft left Austin, Texas after refusing to conduct stronger background checks and fingerprinting on drivers. This decision was voted on my Austin residents in response to a number of physical and sexual assault claims by Uber riders on their drivers.