Video shows New Jersey bus driver brutally beating rider who allegedly spat in his face; both were arrested

A transit bus driver in New Jersey was arrested for brutally beating a passenger who allegedly spat in his face.

The severe beating was caught on several videos by other passengers who recorded it on their cellphones.

'If someone spit on me, I'm automatically hitting them.'

Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said that the fight erupted on the bus near Court Street and Broad Street on Friday at about 1 p.m.

Videos showed the driver, later identified as Toron Walker, telling other passengers to stand back before he punches a man repeatedly and even gets him into a chokehold.

When police were alerted to the altercation and responded to the scene, Walker was still struggling with the man.

Fragé said that Walker was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault. The passenger was also arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

Police are reviewing the videos of the incident in their investigation.

WABC-TV spoke to some transit bus drivers about the arrest of the bus driver, and some said they were opposed to it.

"It's a bus driver trying to help out the community, and you did wrong to a bus driver that's trying to help us out. He's doing his job and he wants to feel safe," said bus rider Zoey Clarke.

"If someone spit on me, I'm automatically hitting them," said Newark resident Donna Defeo.

A statement from the New Jersey Transit confirmed that the driver was assaulted prior to the beating.

We don't condone any form of assault aboard any of our vehicles or within our facilities. We can confirm that our driver was assaulted prior to the altercation. We want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that assaulting a transit employee is a serious offense and can result in a fine, jail time and/or a ban from riding the transit system.

Here's a news video from WABC with much of the cellphone footage that captured the brutal beating.

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