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SOUTH SALT LAKE — A man accused of "brutally assaulting a UTA bus driver for no reason and with zero provocation," according to prosecutors, and then trying to disarm two police officers, is facing several felony charges.
Cameron Michael Ward, 25, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with two counts of disarming an officer, a first-degree felony; aggravated assault, a third-degree felony; two counts of assault on an officer, a class A misdemeanor; and interfering with an arrest, a class B misdemeanor.
On Dec. 20, a Utah Transit Authority bus driver pulled into the Millcreek Trax Station at 210 W. 3300 South, and stepped off the bus. Ward approached the bus driver and asked, "Where are you from?" according to charging documents.
Ward then "punched (the bus driver) several times in his face and head" and continued to punch and kick him after he was knocked to the ground, the charges state. After getting up, the bus driver was knocked to the ground a second time and Ward "attempted to gouge out (the man's) left eye, which caused a crescent shaped laceration to (his) left cornea," according to the charges.
The bus driver was taken to a local hospital to be treated for several injuries and received six staples to close a cut. He told police he believes the incident was a hate crime and that he was attacked because he is Asian-American, the charges state.
Ward was spotted a short time later, near 136 W. 3300 South, by a South Salt Lake police officer. He refused the officer's commands to stop and sit, however, and began punching the officer in the head and face, according to the charges.
"(The officer) was able to take Ward to the ground waiting for backup officers to arrive. Ward continued to fight, grabbing (the officer's) firearm with his left hand trying to remove it from the holster," the charges state.
When Ward began grabbing other metal equipment off the officer, the officer punched Ward in the face to get him to stop, according to the charges.
"Backing officers arrived to assist in taking Ward into custody. Ward continued to fight, kicking (a second officer) in the torso so hard that his gear on his vest was knocked off," the charges state.
Ward then grabbed a third officer's gun and tried to pull it from his holster, according to the charges. The officers were eventually able to take Ward into custody and place him in handcuffs.
