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Texas prosecutor fired after allegedly assaulting and belittling Uber driver
An Uber driver alleged that he was assaulted and belittled Friday night by a passenger who turned out to be a prosecutor for the Dallas Country district attorney's office. (Image source: ABC News video screenshot)

Texas prosecutor fired after allegedly assaulting and belittling Uber driver

A Dallas County assistant district attorney was fired Monday after allegations that she assaulted, belittled, and accused an Uber driver of kidnapping her Friday night.

Uber driver Shaun Platt said prosecutor Jody Warner appeared to be intoxicated when he picked her up at the Capitol Pub in Dallas late that evening.

Platt alleges that the prosecutor slapped his shoulder and repeatedly berated him while he was giving her a ride home, according to The Dallas Morning News.  The 26-year-old Uber driver said Warner, who has worked for the Dallas County district attorney's office for six years, got upset when he tried to initiate small talk about the upcoming holidays.

After the passenger's behavior continued to worsen, Platt finally ended the Uber ride, asked the woman to get out and eventually called the police.  

Platt started recording the incident on his cellphone after calling 911.

A woman can be heard in the recording calling him names, including "an idiot," "a legitimate retard," and "stupid."

Listen to the recording published on the Morning News website:

What happened during the ride?

Warner told Platt to change routes from the one his GPS was directing, but he got lost.

“I said, ‘Should I make a left up here?’ and she refused to answer me,” Platt told the Morning News. “She said, ‘You can follow the [expletive] GPS,' and she became increasingly angry, even though I was just trying to get her home.”

The prosecutor allegedly slapped the driver on his shoulder. Platt said it "didn't hurt that bad," but that's when he ended the Uber ride.

“I said, ‘Nope that’s it,’ and I pulled over on the side of the road. I wanted the cops to show up so they could do something about it,” Platt said. “But I didn’t call the cops. I gave her a chance, and she kept saying she was a DA and I didn’t want to get her in trouble.”

Platt said Warner told him "she knew people" and that "he would never work again."

“Who are they going to believe? I’m a district attorney,” Warner said to Platt, the Morning News reported.

“Oh my God, you’re going to regret this so much,” a woman is heard saying in the audio recording. “Just take me home, dude. ... Either drop me off at my house, or we’ll wait for the cops, because I’m not wrong.”

What did the cops do when they arrived?

Platt told the Morning News that he was afraid and intimidated by Warner's threats when the police arrived.

"She said, 'I'm the DA,' and she said [to the cop], 'Can I speak with you?' and he pulled her aside away from me," Platt said. "Then the cop said, 'You good?' and I said 'I guess so.' I should've said, 'No, I'm not good.' It was intimidating. I was intimidated."

Warner was "let off the hook," Platt said. The police officer then gave Warner a ride home. 

"After reviewing this incident and speaking with the complainant who called 911, the Dallas Police Department has determined that the officer’s involvement was within departmental policies and procedures," Dallas Police said in a statement to ABC News. "Any further information relating to this incident should be directed to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. There are no criminal charges filed relating to this incident."

Was Uber notified?

Platt told the Morning News that he reported the incident to Uber and the company assured him that his app wouldn't match up with her again.

"We expect riders to treat drivers with respect. This rider has been removed from the app while we continue to look into this incident," a spokesperson for Uber told ABC News.

Have charges been filed against the assistant DA?

"Although criminal charges have not been filed, her behavior is contrary to this office's core principle of integrity, and it will not be tolerated," Dallas County DA Faith Johnson said in a written statement. "As public servants, we represent the people of Dallas County and are examples of justice, professionalism, and ethical behavior both inside and outside of the courtroom."

Johnson said she terminated Warner after conducting a "thorough investigation."

Anything else?

Warner denies hitting Platt, according to ABC News.

"I cringe whenever I hear or think about the things that I said that night. It was unacceptable, and no one deserves to be called names," Warner told ABC News in a statement. "That being said, the audio doesn't tell you that I was in a situation that made me feel very uncomfortable and I became defensive and eventually angry. I NEVER assaulted my driver or touched him in any way. All I wanted to do was get home safely that night."

Platt said he didn't intend for the recording to cause Warner to lose her job.

He told ABC News that he forgives her. "I'm sure she's a good person when she's sober," he said. 

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