Livery cab driver Trevor Bell has been in the hospital for over a month now after being shot in the neck and left for dead by a passenger on December 3rd. The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Shawn Peace, was caught on video fighting with Bell, and stole about $100 as he fled. But now Bell may be facing the loss of his livelihood; New York State Workers’ Compensation Board reportedly did not approve his claim for assistance with car loan payments, saying "the claimed injuries do not meet the qualifying criteria."
We've contacted the WCB to see just what the qualifying criteria are if being shot in the neck and suffering two small strokes as a result doesn't make the cut. Bell's car has been impounded as evidence since the shooting, and the bank is threatening to reclaim the car if he misses his monthly payments. The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers paid his last payment, and is currently collecting donations to keep paying them until Bell can work again.
Police suspect Peace has fled the city and they are currently pursuing leads; he is also a suspect in several other robberies. The shooting led Federation leader Fernando Mateo to suggest drivers start profiling their passengers, saying, "You know, sometimes it is good we are racially profiled, because the God's honest truth is that 99 percent of the people that are robbing, stealing, killing these drivers are blacks and Hispanics." Bell is recovering well, and because the bullet lodged so close to his spine, doctors have decided to leave it in.
