Family wants more security after rider is accused of killing North Texas Uber driver
The family of North Texas Uber driver Tahirou Diallo is calling for the rideshare company to institute more safety measures after police say the 60-year-old was fatally shot by his passenger May 7 in North Richland Hills.
Officers were called to the 8000 block of Mickey Street shortly after midnight after gunfire was reported in the area. They found a sport utility vehicle parked in the road and two men nearby, North Richland Hills police said in a news release posted on May 8.
One of the men, Diallo, had been shot and died at the scene. The second man was “highly intoxicated,” police said. He’s been identified as Kane Roden. Police found a gun next to Roden, and the 30-year-old North Richland Hills resident was arrested as a suspect in the homicide.
A GoFundMe has been organized to provide support for Diallo’s widow and 3-year-old son and to cover the cost of sending his body back to his home country of Guinea in West Africa.
Family members told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV that Diallo helped bring their community together.
“He always had a light, and I will always want to carry a light on myself and pour that into other people, how he poured it onto us,” Diallo’s niece Rabi Ba said to WFAA.
Ibrahima Bah told WFAA that they are heartbroken over his uncle’s unexpected death.
“We can talk a lot about him, but you will never reach the end because he was the greatest one in between this community,” Ibrahima Bah said.
The family is calling on Uber to institute more protections for its drivers, such as checking to see if riders have a criminal history.
Police have said they are investigating a motive for the fatal shooting, but don’t believe Diallo and Roden knew each other. Roden is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a $520,000 bond, court records state.
In addition to facing a murder charge in the shooting, Roden also has two outstanding charges from another law enforcement agency on counts of continuous violence against the family and violation of a bond/protective order, according to court records. It’s not clear if he has an attorney to represent him.
Uber officials told the Star-Telegram in an email that they have tried to reach Diallo’s family to offer their support and condolences.
According to Uber, the rideshare company has introduced new policies in recent years to protect the safety of its drivers. Uber also has added safety features to its app, including the rider verification feature that compares account details to third-party databases to confirm riders are who they say they are.
More information about driver safety can be found on Uber’s website.
“We’re deeply saddened by this devastating loss,” Uber said in a statement. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the driver’s family during this incredibly difficult time. We are in contact with law enforcement and are supporting their investigation in any way we can.”
Members of the Muslim community from around the United States gathered at the Islamic Center of Irving on Sunday, May 11, for Diallo’s funeral service.
“If you needed anything, he’s always there,” one of Diallo’s nephews told WFAA at the funeral. ”I’ve never known him to be someone who’s not available, so it’s hard to be in a situation where we don’t have him anymore. “
