Students Speak Out After Man Grabs On To Front Of Moving School Bus
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Baltimore County man is caught on tape jumping onto the front of a school bus full of children and demanding the driver let him on board.
An afternoon ride home from school took a surprising turn at Putty Hill and Hoerner Avenue, when a plastic bottle was thrown out a bus window at a man's car, but his reaction caused things to escalate quickly.
The suspect, 68-year-old Leverne Doran banged on the school bus doors, and attempted to get on the bus. But when that didn't work and the bus started to drive away, Doran latched himself onto the front.
The shocking moments following were caught on tape by students on-board. Students screamed as Doran held onto their moving bus, demanding the driver open the door.
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Students 13-year-old Eli and 12-year-old Ivy Copenhaver were on the bus on their way home from Loch Raven Middle School.
"So he stopped the bus and started yelling at our bus driver to open up the door," says Eli.
That didn't work, but Eli says Doran wasn't about to go quietly.
"Our driver actually skipped a stop because we didn't want to let a girl off while that was happening, so we started driving towards the police station, which he then got off the bus and tried prying open the doors," he says.
The man succeeded, however, once the bus got caught in traffic, alarming students.
"Some were crying, some were hiding under seats and pretty much at that point we were scared," says Ivy.
The students say Doran was on the bus for at most a minute before eventually getting off of his own accord.
The incident caught the attention of several onlookers in Parkville, including Sara Scarborough and her mother Linda, who were right behind the bus.
"Just the sound of their screams, you know like you hear in a horror movie, it's terrifying," says Sara.
"Should we help the kids? Should we get them off the bus through the emergency door? That was my first thought until the police officer showed up," says Linda.
Sara and her mom Linda say even then, Doran was still not quite done with bus.
"As the bus is driving away, the gentleman is literally pounding away, punching, and kicking the bus."
Eli and ivy give credit o their bus driver for trying to keep them safe.
"He probably should have gone a little be slower , but he definitely did just keep on driving, he didn't open the door for him or anything like he wasn't giving into the guy."
Police say they were able to apprehend and arrest Doran. He faces multiple charges for disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, obstructing a school bus driver, and malicious destruction of property.
They say the incident investigation is ongoing.
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