CATS Driver Shooting Suspect Makes 1st Appearance In Court, Bond Denied
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The man accused of shooting and killing CATS bus driver Ethan Rivera during a road rage incident appeared in court Friday morning. Darian Thavychith has been charged with 1st Degree Murder and Felony Discharging a Weapon Into An Occupied Dwelling.
He remains in the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond.
Rivera’s friends and former colleagues stood in solidarity outside the courthouse.
“Every single time, even if it’s a five minute court date, somebody’s gonna be here with a uniform on so he can see our face. This is what you did to us, to our family. You broke it,” says Virginia Walker, CATS Bus Operator.
CATS sent WCCB News a list of new security measures implemented since the tragedy.
-CMPD has added patrols of the Charlotte Transit Center and bus routes
-The Department of Homeland Security Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams will make random visits to and patrol CATS facilities
-CATS will add additional Allied Universal resources for all bus facilities and routes
-CATS is working with CMPD to identify and implement de-escalation training for bus operators and CATS frontline employees
-CATS has inspected every bus to identify and fix any malfunctioning bus radios
-CATS instituted new daily procedures for radio checks
-RATPDEV will provide its employees with a recruitment and retention bonus within the next 30 days
CATS bus operators have started a petition to ask lawmakers to push for restrictor laws for people who commit violent acts against bus operators. You can find more information here. https://www.facebook.com/SAFE-Safety-Assurance-From-Ethan-109192201697463
The man accused of shooting and killing a CATS bus driver during an alleged road rage incident has been released from jail in Kansas. Sources say he was booked into the Mecklenburg County jail at 3 p.m. on Thursday where he faces a 1st degree murder charge.
Darian Dru Thavychith
Darian Dru Thavychith , 21, was charged with the murder of CATS bus driver Ethan Rivera.
On the night of February 11th, Thavychith allegedly shot and killed Rivera while he was driving a CATS bus around 9:30pm on West Trade Street in Uptown Charlotte. Investigators say Thavychith fled the crime scene in a black SUV.
According to police, Thavychith was identified on February 14th through photo evidence.
Thavychith was taken into custody in Kansas through a collaborative effort of the CMPD’s Violent Crime Apprehension Team and a slew of other investigators from the FBI, Secret Service, and more.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department held a news conference on March 1st to discuss details of the case. You can watch that news conference here:
CMPD released photos of Thavychith prior to him being identified as the suspect. See the surveillance photos below:
Rivera’s family members spoke during the news conference (see below). Filled with intense emotions, Rivera’s mother, Sylvia, shared the immense pain of losing her son as well as her concerns about his two sons left without a father. The family desperately begged for answers about the incident.
CATS CEO John Lewis honors Rivera by sharing his condolences and reminding the public to remember him not just as a bus driver but as a loving husband, father, and brother.
