Uber driver shot by passenger after refusing to give keys and cellphone, HPD says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An Uber driver was shot by a passenger after refusing to take him to another location, according to Houston police.

The shooting happened after 10 p.m. Sunday at a Shell station on Quitman Street near Jensen Drive.

Police said the driver, Daniel Teheri, dropped four passengers, two men, and two women, off at their destination when one of them demanded to be taken to another location.

Teheri said no, and that's when the man held him at gunpoint and told him to get out and leave his keys and cell phone behind, HPD said.

Investigators said Teheri refused, and that's when shots were fired. The victim's sister said her brother thankfully turned his body at the last second, so the bullet missed vital organs.

"They couldn't find a bullet on him. I think it went in angled. I think it went inside, probably, the seat of the car," Ensi Teheri said.

The four passengers all fled the scene without taking Teheri's car, HPD said.

Teheri was left with a deep wound and was left needing blood, fluids, and stitches at the hospital, his sister said.

While he recovers at home, Ensi said she was encouraging him to find a new job.

An Uber spokesperson released a statement regarding the incident:

"There is no place for violence on the Uber platform, and what this driver experienced is truly atrocious. We're working to get in touch with the driver to check in on their well-being and offer our support, and have banned the rider account from the platform. We stand ready to assist police however we can."

The company also says Ride Check was activated in this instance. It helps make sure drivers and riders are okay during an unexpected, long stop.

Teheri said that the safety feature alone, wasn't enough to protect against the bigger problem of gun violence. "It's something that I think definitely needs to be controlled. Everybody has access to a gun, and it's not something that's right," he said.

Fuel Stop employees declined to release surveillance images to ABC13, but HPD said the video and information from Uber could help them find the suspect.

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