Worst Fare That Cabbie Ever Had

HOUSTON (CN) - When a cabbie called police on a man who refused to pay his $61 fare, the man sucker punched him and stabbed him, the cabbie claims in Harris County Court.

Jonathon Ray Jackson sued Mitchell Buddy Rosen on Tuesday, seeking his $61 fare, $50,000 for aggravated assault, and $2 million in punitive damages.

Jackson claims he picked Rosen up at a downtown Houston hotel and drove him 28 miles to a commuter parking lot northeast of the city.

"Upon arrival, plaintiff requested the fare of approximately $61.00," the 3-page complaint states. "Defendant swiped his credit card and it was declined. Defendant re-swiped the same card as well as approximately two other credit cards and each time the method of payment was declined.

"Plaintiff offered to drive defendant to an ATM but defendant refused, stating that if he didn't pay with a credit card he wasn't going to pay."

So Jackson called the police.

Jackson, an African-American, says that as they waited Rosen began spewing "racial insults like 'gangster'... 'motherf**ker,' 'black people,' and other epithets and slurs." (Ellipsis in complaint.)

After 10 minutes of Rosen's vitriol, Jackson says, he got out of the cab and waited by its bumper for the police.

The 32-year-old Rosen also exited the cab and got in Jackson's face, Jackson says.

"Without provocation, excuse or justification (other than defendant's pending arrest for theft of services), defendant sucker punched plaintiff in the jaw and then defendant started choking plaintiff by twisting plaintiff's shirt collar," the complaint states.

"Defendant then drew his concealed 6-inch knife and stabbed plaintiff, twisting it deeply into plaintiff's leg.

"The police arrived, kicked the knife out of defendant's hand and promptly arrested defendant." (Parentheses in complaint).

Rosen, who court records list as 6 feet 1 inch tall and 220 pounds, was charged with aggravated assault.

Jackson is represented by Howard Kahn of Houston.

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