RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Police announced the arrest of a man in connection to an assault of an Uber driver. Ronald S. Young, 26, of Ridgecliff Road, was charged with robbery in connection to the October 28 incident. Additional charges are pending the investigation.
“Detectives were able to make this arrest with the help of a citizen who recorded the incident on her cell phone and called 911,” Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham said. “I want to thank her for her quick action, which summoned officers to the scene within minutes and gave detectives valuable visual evidence of the robbery as it occurred.”
Uber driver Bradley Johnson, 59, was attempting to drive down the 2000 block of West Grace Street at about 2:17 a.m. when he encountered a group of people playing loud music and blocking the street.
“[Johnson] was attempting to drive through an intersection when he was robbed and assaulted,” a Richmond Police spokesperson said. “[He] was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”
The video showed the men approach Johnson’s van, where they appeared to punch him. When he got out of the van, the assault continued.
“I remember hitting the ground and hitting my head on the pavement. I remember getting up a couple more times with the same result of getting hit and knocked to the ground,” Johnson recalled.
The attackers took Johnson’s phone. It was recovered by a jogger a few blocks away.
Police reported in the last six months, officers have responded to complaints of illegal parking and noisy crowds in that part of Richmond’s Fan District.
“The residents of this area deserve peace and quiet,” 3rd Precinct Captain Chris Gleason said. “We ask them to remain vigilant and patient as we work with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to address the concerns.”
Detectives asked anyone with any information about this incident to call Third Precinct Detective A. Davila at (804) 646-1069 or Crime Stoppers at 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used. All Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.