Taxi driver filmed trying to 'run over' teens says 'I would do it again'

A taxi operator successful Truro defended his determination to 'run over' teens (Image: Getty)

A taxi operator successful Truro has sparked contention aft being filmed driving toward a radical of teenagers earlier exiting his conveyance and shouting astatine them.

The driver, Stephen Rowe of KC Taxis, claims helium was attempting to intervene successful a concern wherever the youths were accused of intimidating 2 stateless men connected Boscawen Street.

The video, which has circulated online, shows Mr Rowe beeping his horn arsenic the teenagers leap retired of the way.

He past steps retired of his taxi and tells them to determination on, utilizing expletives.

Despite accusations that helium was attempting to tally them over, Mr Rowe maintains that helium was not driving straight astatine them but alternatively stopping safely adjacent to face the situation.

The operator said helium saw the teens pushing stateless men (Image: Getty)

Mr Rowe defended his actions, insisting helium was reacting instinctively to support the stateless men. Speaking to CornwallLive, helium said: “It was a speedy absorption aft I saw the kids pushing the stateless men astir and getting successful their faces.

"I thought of the mediocre feline who got beaten up successful the multi-storey car parkland a mates of years agone and astir died.”

He argued that his attack was indispensable to disperse the radical and forestall harm, stating, “I pulled up to the kerb, enactment my handbrake up, and jumped retired to commencement shouting astatine them.

The crushed I was shouting was due to the fact that it’s the aforesaid maneuver the constabulary usage to deter people.”

Mr. Rowe, an ex-military member, said helium relied connected past acquisition to de-escalate the situation: “In definite situations, you request to beryllium assertive. If I had walked up calmly and said, ‘Excuse me, gentlemen, delight permission him alone,’ they wouldn’t person listened. That’s wherefore I did what I did.”

The video captures 1 of the teenagers accusing Mr Rowe of trying to tally them over, to which helium responds, “I would f***ing bash it again.”

When asked to clarify, Mr Rowe stood by his actions; helium said: “I would bash it again due to the fact that if it stopped teenagers from beating idiosyncratic up, past yes, I would. I would anticipation that if it was my granddad oregon idiosyncratic susceptible being intimidated, different operator would bash the same.”

However, helium emphasiised that helium ne'er intended to harm anyone. “I was beeping my horn to disperse them. I was not really that adjacent to them. Why would I randomly thrust astatine kids?”

Following the incident, Mr Rowe contacted the constabulary to study the altercation. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that they received reports of a disturbance involving aggregate youths connected January 19.

“No injuries were reported, and enquiries are presently ongoing,” a spokesperson said.

Cornwall Council’s licensing department, which regulates taxi operations successful the county, has besides been informed.

A assembly spokesperson said: “We person galore reports related to licensing compliance, including the behaviour of licensed taxi drivers. Investigations are undertaken arsenic deemed necessary.”

Possible actions scope from nary sanctions to a afloat licence review.

Amanda Turner, a rider successful Mr Rowe’s taxi astatine the time, corroborated his mentation of events. “The teens were provoking the 2 stateless men. The operator asked if I minded if helium stopped, and I said no.

"He got retired and told them to ‘f*** off.’ One of the kids asked what helium was going to bash astir it,” she recalled.

Ms Turner added that she felt harmless passim the incidental and believed the driver’s intentions were good. “I thought helium didn’t person to bash it, but helium said helium was sick of this happening successful Truro. We request much radical similar him who are consenting to basal up against this behaviour.”