Lyft driver acquitted after firing on mob that attacked him
A Lyft driver in Harrisonburg, Virginia, fired one shot after being swarmed outside a college apartment complex, and his case became a two-day jury trial. In a video from Colion Noir, the driver, a USCCA member, walks through what happened and what it cost him before a jury cleared him.
Snapshot
The driver, then 31, told Colion Noir he was dropping off three passengers near a fraternity and apartment complex when young men surrounded his car, pulled a passenger door open, and attacked him as he stepped out to close it. He says he used pepper spray and verbal commands first, drew his pistol only after being struck hard enough to crack his jaw and black out briefly, and fired once at the lead attacker before the crowd backed off.
Key points
- De-escalation first: The driver says he holstered his pistol, grabbed pepper spray, and gave loud commands before any hands-on defense.
- Charged after defending himself: Police charged him with three class one misdemeanors in Virginia — assault, negligent discharge, and brandishing — each carrying up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
- Public mugshot, wrong facts: He says the Harrisonburg Police Department posted his mugshot on Facebook with his age and employer wrong, before he ever told his side.
- USCCA response: He credits the USCCA app's Critical Response button for connecting him to help when adrenaline left his hands too shaky to dial a phone.
- Jury verdict: After a two-day trial, the jury deliberated about 40 minutes and found him not guilty on all three charges.
Quick take
Colion Noir frames this as proof that surviving a violent encounter is only half the fight, arguing the legal and public-perception fallout can be just as consuming as the attack itself. Viewers who carry should walk away thinking about what happens in the minutes and months after a shooting, not just the moment of it.
Watch the full video: Colion Noir