Man arrested after allegedly assaulting Youngstown bus driver
One man has been arrested after assaulting a Youngstown bus driver on Wednesday afternoon.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - One man has been arrested after assaulting a Youngstown bus driver on Wednesday afternoon.
Thirty-five-year-old Jermaine Willis of Youngstown is currently in the Mahoning County Jail on assault charges, after he allegedly attacked a bus driver, 63-year-old Karl Kalasky.
The incident took place after the bus had to pull over because the doors were broken, meaning that the students on the bus needed to be transported to another bus.
According to police, Willis is a parent to two children who were on the bus and noticed that the bus had pulled to the side of the road because he lives only a couple blocks away.
Officials say that Kalasky told them that he noticed Willis trying to get on the bus to retrieve his children, however, Kalasky said he asked Willis to stop because that is not proper protocol.
Kalasky reported to officials that he was blocking the door of the bus when Willis grabbed him and threw him on the ground from the bus stairs causing him to injure his elbow.
A second bus came to the scene to relieve the first bus, due to the doors being broken.
According to the Youngstown district spokeswoman, the second bus driver was standing in the front of her bus trying to radio for help.
The statement released by the spokeswoman informs that two girl students, who are believed to be related to Willis, tried to get off the second bus.
One of the girls got caught on the cord of the radio, while the other girl, believed to be related to the first girl, allegedly grabbed the second bus driver by the throat.
Both Kalasky and the second bus driver were transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown.
The injuries that the bus drivers sustained are not believed to be life-threatening.
According to the spokeswoman, the two girls who were involved in the incident with the second bus driver have been removed from the bus and will face possible discipline.
After these incidents occurred Willis reportedly left the scene with his children.
According to authorities he later turned himself in to police for the incident.
Willis told police that the reason he attacked the Kalasky was that the bus driver lunged at him first.
However, police interviewed several people who witnessed the incident and those witnesses said that the Kalasky was just standing there when the assault took place.
Based on the information they gathered, police arrested Willis.
Willis will now await a court date.
