A female Lyft driver was fired by the rideshare company earlier this month after using her legally-owned firearm to defend herself during a violent attack.
Cynthia Norman said she picked up two men in their 20s in Cleveland’s Nottingham neighborhood in Ohio at roughly 1:00 a.m. on Jan. 10, Fox 19 reported. One of the passengers demanded that he sit in the front seat, despite the company’s COVID-19 protocols, and began punching Norman in the face.
Norman said she grabbed her handgun from the center console and opened fire on her attackers. According to Fox 19, police are unclear if the men were shot, but the gunfire was enough to scare the attempted carjackers away, ending the brutal attack.
“I had to fight with these two men. I had one choking me from the back,” Norman told 19 News. “They didn’t know I was going to fight back,” she said.
After defending herself against the two men, the Lyft driver went to the police station to report the incident. Shortly thereafter, Norman was fired by Lyft.
“What if you’re getting attacked? What are you supposed to do then?” Norman wondered, according to Fox 19.
A Lyft spokesperson told the news outlet that they stand by their decision to fire the driver, despite the circumstances.
“Our ‘No Weapons’ policy applies when you are doing business as a representative of Lyft, which includes times that you are driving for Lyft, as well as times that you are visiting a Lyft Hub,” the Lyft website stated. “This means that even in places where it is legal to carry a weapon, we ask that you do not carry a weapon on any Lyft property.”
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in several states are seeking to loosen firearm restrictions by letting individuals carry concealed guns without requiring a permit.
While 15 states already allow concealed carry without permits, nine more are considering the changes, including Utah and Tennessee.
“I have that right to protect myself, the Constitution says we have the right. Why are we putting a barrier for law-abiding citizens?” said Utah Representative Walt Brooks, the Republican lawmaker sponsoring the bill that would allow any citizens of the United states over the age of 21 to carry a concealed weapon without a background check or weapons education.
