Caught On Video: Elderly Man Threatened By Irate Passenger On Metro Bus

MIRACLE MILE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities are trying to track down a man who threatened an elderly passenger on a Los Angeles Metro bus Wednesday.

The incident happened around 8 p.m. on the 720 Rapid Line, as the bus was making its way down Wilshire Boulevard.

A witness said the older man got up to switch seats and fell on the unidentified African American man.

The suspect, however, claimed the elderly man assaulted him, which prompted him to scream and use homophobic slurs toward the passenger.

When the driver said he was going to call the police, the irate man said, "I am the police!"

Erica Rodriguez told KCAL9's Cristy Fajardo that she started rolling her cellphone video, which she later posted on YouTube, because she didn't know what else to do.

"I was scared. I was like, 'Well, I guess I'm more use taking a video and then I can get it out, show the Metro and send it to police and stuff,'" she said.

The driver pulled over at the next station at Vermont and Wilshire, where everyone got off the bus, including the angry man.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said, "Metro is aware of a recent incident that occurred on board a Metro bus involving an elderly patron and another passenger. We've asked the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to investigate the incident. Safety is always a top priority, and Metro is committed to providing a safe environment for our customers."