An Uber driver in Arizona said he pulled up to give a ride Easter morning and ended up with an AR-15 assault rifle in his face.
Edward Martinez said two men called for a ride and while he waited at the curb, a third man came out of the house with no shirt and a gun.
"He points it at me and says, 'call 9-1-1,"' said Martinez.
Not knowing what was happening, Martinez started dialing and talking to the 9-1-1 dispatcher, and the guy with the gun went back inside. In the meantime, he said the two riders got in his car and told him not to worry about the guy with the gun. About that time, the man with the gun returned.
"That's when he put a round in the chamber," said Martinez. "The [passenger] door was open... and then he had the weapon, it was about [half way] in the car, and I just took off."
Martinez drove to a Quick Trip. He said his passengers tossed something out the window on the way and disappeared when he parked to wait for El Mirage police.
An El Mirage officer ended up arresting the armed man, 25-year-old Nicholas Brasseur. Police searched his home and wrote in the police report that they found drugs and 25 AR-15 assault rifles.
"My profession is manufacturing AR-15s," Brasseur told the court at his initial appearance. The judge informed him that he would not be allowed to continue working with weapons or be in possession of any weapons while awaiting a resolution to the charges, which include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possessing or using a weapon during a drug offense.
Martinez said he reported the incident to Uber but has not received a followup call.
"I'm missing work. Where's any concern? What can we do to help you? Do you need to see a counselor? Or any of that kind of stuff," said Martinez.
Meanwhile, he says he doesn't know if he'll ever drive again.
"Not today, not the next day," said Martinez. "Why would I want to put my life [at risk] and lose my life. I can't."
An Uber spokesperson told Scripps station KNXV in Phoenix they've banned all the people involved from the Uber app and will co-operate with police.
The spokesperson said they're glad Martinez is OK and plan to follow up with him soon.
