PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida woman is behind bars after deputies say she assaulted an Uber driver in an unprovoked attack Saturday.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, 55-year-old Michele Stilwell began to choke the man while he was driving.
Deputies say the driver was able to pull over but Stilwell was able to crawl over the center console, bite his neck and scratch him. While the driver attempted to call 911, deputies say Stilwell smacked the phone from his hand.
Video taken by a witness who asked to remain anonymous shows the Uber driver with his hands up as the suspect is seen choking him from the backseat. The driver can be heard in the video saying “I can’t breathe.”
Multiple witnesses rushed to the driver’s aid and pulled Stilwell off of him and called 911.
According to the arrest affidavit, deputies believe Stilwell was under the influence of alcohol.
Stilwell was charged with tampering with a witness and aggravated battery and was released on a combined $15,000 bond for the two charges at 2:30 Sunday morning.
