From Newsgroup: alt.food.fast-food
An Uber Eats driver is now looking for a new gig thanks to the company's driver disarmament policy, but police in Port St. Lucie, Florida say the driver was acting in lawful self-defense when he drew his gun and shot a
man who had threatened him with a knife after a dispute over a parking
space.
The incident unfolded outside a Pollo Tropical restaurant in Port St.
Lucie on Saturday afternoon. Port St. Lucie Police Chief Leo Niemczyk says
a 37-year-old Christopher Harris started jawing with the Uber Eats driver outside of the restaurant and waited for the driver to exit the building
with the order he was picking up.
When the delivery driver emerged, Harris allegedly shoved him and then
pulled out a knife. That's when the delivery driver drew his gun and fired
a single round, striking Harris in the chest.
"Christopher Harris. He was the aggressor. He pursued the other
individual. He followed him back outside. He shoved him. He pulled out a weapon," Niemczyk told WPBF.
He said that justifies the man who pulled the trigger defending himself.
"It's self-defense. It also fits the stand-your-ground rule because he is being pursued. He has no duty to retreat. In fact, he did try to retreat.
He did try to avoid the situation, but he was pursued. So 100%, he turned around and used appropriate action. He met deadly force, being a knife,
with deadly force by firing one round. It appears to be 100% justifiable," Niemczyk said.
After he was shot, Harris stumbled inside of the restaurant, where several customers tried to stop the bleeding. Harris was airlifted to a nearby hospital, and doctors determined his injuries were not life threatening.
Once Harris is released from the hospital, he's expected to be booked in
to the St. Lucie County jail on charges of attempted aggravated battery
with a deadly weapon and felony battery. According to Niemczyk, Harris has
at least one prior conviction for battery, and it's unclear whether there
are other arrests or convictions in his past.
The Uber Eats driver isn't facing any charges, and with Niemczyk calling
his actions "100 percent justifiable" so soon after the shooting took
place the physical evidence must have overwhelmingly supported the
driver's version of events.
Even though the driver acted to defend his life, he violated Uber policy
by carrying a gun on the clock. Though Uber's policy states that "anyone
who violates this policy may lose access to Uber," it seems to be applied
in a "shall" fashion. I've interviewed multiple Uber and Lyft drivers
who've defended themselves from violent attackers, and even though they
broke no law they were still barred from working for the companies going forward.
My suggestion for this armed citizen is to try DoorDash instead. That
company does not have a specific policy prohibiting lawful carry of
firearms, though it's community guidelines do prohibit brandishing or
firing weapons in a threatening manner. Presumably that would not apply to lawful acts of self-defense, though it would be nice if DoorDash
explicitly said so.
You shouldn't have to choose between your job and your life, but when a company like Uber forces its contractors to make that decision it should
be an easy one. New jobs can be found. A new life? Not so much.
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2026/09/22/armed-delivery-driver- shoots-knife-wielding-attacker-angry-over-parking-dispute-n1233892
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