NextSharkNextShark.com

Man accused of trying to gouge out Utah bus driver’s eye because he’s Asian

Man accused of trying to gouge out Utah bus driver’s eye because he’s Asian

Cameron Michael Ward, 25, is facing multiple felony charges and misdemeanors for the Dec. 20 incident, which left Neil Uemura with multiple serious injuries

December 28, 2022
SHARE
A man has been charged in connection with a brutal attack on a Utah Transit Authority (UTA) bus driver and a subsequent attempt to disarm police officers last week.
Cameron Michael Ward, 25, is facing multiple felony charges and misdemeanors for the Dec. 20 incident, which reportedly occurred in the area of Millcreek Trax Station at 210 W. 3300 South.
Ward approached UTA driver Neil Uemura after the latter pulled into the station and stepped off his bus, as per charging documents seen by KSL. Ward then reportedly asked the driver, “Where are you from?”
According to the charging documents, Ward punched Uemura multiple times in the head and face. After Uemura fell to the ground, Ward reportedly continued to beat him up and kick him.
Uemura managed to get up but was knocked down a second time. Ward then “attempted to gouge out [Uemura’s] left eye, which caused a crescent shaped laceration to [his] left cornea,” the charges stated.
Uemura, a military veteran, reportedly suffered multiple injuries in the unprovoked attack. He believes he was targeted for being of Asian descent.
“I didn’t put it together till I got to the hospital why this guy was asking me where I’m from and I’m like, ‘I’m from Salt Lake City,’” Uemura told Fox 13. “Then I thought, ‘Oh, he means what country are you from,’ so I’m thinking this is more or less a hate crime.”
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

Uemura has been with the UTA for seven years. Aside from a laceration to his left cornea, the attack reportedly left him with a ruptured eardrum, a left frontal scalp hematoma, facial swelling and another laceration at the back of his head that required six staples to close up.
Ward was arrested shortly after the attack, but not without incident.
While being ordered, he punched an officer in the head and face, according to reports.
The officer pinned Ward to the ground, but the latter reportedly continued to resist and even attempted to grab the officer’s gun from his holster. As backup deputies arrived, Ward kicked one of them so hard in the torso “that his gear on his vest was knocked off,” the affidavit noted.
The deputies ultimately managed to restrain Ward and handcuff him, according to reports.
Ward was charged with two counts of disarming a police officer (a first-degree felony), aggravated assault (a third-degree felony), two counts of assault on an officer (a class A misdemeanor) and interference with arresting officer (a class B misdemeanor), ABC 4 reported. He has been booked into Salt Lake County Jail.

Related stories:
 
 
 
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Carl Samson

      Carl Samson is a Senior Editor for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.