Atlanta sports reporter Tabitha Turner to address rideshare incident

ATLANTA - Tabitha Turner, a well-known sports reporter and analyst for the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Dream, will speak publicly for the first time about a violent and traumatic encounter with an Uber driver that occurred this past weekend.

Turner is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11 a.m. June 25 at The Cochran Law Firm – Atlanta. She will be joined by her attorney, Miguel A. Dominguez of the Dominguez Law Firm.

The backstory:

The incident, which took place on June 21, began shortly after Turner was picked up by an Uber driver at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 3:40 p.m. According to an incident report from the Hapeville Police Department, Turner asked the female driver to roll up the windows and turn on the air conditioning due to the heat. The driver reportedly became agitated, pulled over on Interstate 85, and demanded Turner exit the vehicle.

Turner refused to exit without a refund or police involvement. What followed was a physical altercation, partially captured on cellphone video, during which the driver allegedly sprayed Turner with mace and assaulted her inside and outside the vehicle. Turner reportedly also used pepper spray during the incident in an effort to stop the attack. 

Another driver witnessed part of the incident and pulled over and called 911. After reviewing statements and video evidence, police determined the Uber driver was the aggressor. 

Following the incident, Turner says she became the target of online harassment and misinformation, as the Uber driver reportedly posted false claims about the event on social media, sparking threats against Turner and her family.

What's next:

Turner is holding the press conference to set the record straight and share her side of the story. FOX 5 Atlanta plans to livestream the press conference. Check back here shortly before 11 a.m.