Brazil: Taxi drivers attack family in a car mistaken for Uber

Taxi drivers accused of assaulting four people in a family at Brasília International Airport on Tuesday (May 31) may face charges of attempted murder, police said. The family had arrived off a flight and were leaving the airport in a car that was mistaken by the taxi drivers for a Uber vehicle. They were corralled by the taxi drivers, and one of the victims even lost a tooth.

Police Commissioner Gustavo Gomes said there is compelling evidence there has been an assault which, if potentially life-threatening, could carry harsher punishment for the perpetrators. “They [attackers] thought that the [victims'] car was [an Uber vehicle] picking up passengers. We are going to investigate further to establish what charges apply,” Gomes told Agência Brasil.

“If we find any excesses, we may have an attempted murder case,” the police chief said. Police expect to hear the four victims this week. They will also review footage from the security cameras in the airport vicinity.

Shortly before the attack, about 60 taxi drivers were involved in another incident at a service station near the Brasília International Airport. During the incident, six Uber drivers were beaten and had their vehicles vandalized. One of the Uber drivers, who asked to remain anonymous, showed our reporters the damage caused to the vehicle. He has incurred an estimated $2.800 in losses.

Translated by Mayra Borges