METRO rider charged with hate crime enhancement after allegedly attacking bus driver and 2 officers

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A METRO rider who refused to get off a bus allegedly attacked the driver and later two officers, one with the public transit and another at the jail where he was detained.

According to METRO police, 29-year-old Dillon Burdick is also accused of attacking the Hispanic driver based on race after he told an officer that he “hates wetbacks.”

Police said the ordeal happened Wednesday at about 7:30 p.m. at the end of a bus route in the 13900 block of Veterans Memorial. The bus operator called for help for a man who had fallen asleep on board, refused to get off, and then proceeded to slap him.

A METRO officer who responded to escort the man was then spat on by him, according to police.

The belligerent bus rider also tried kicking at the officer while being placed in a patrol car. It was then inside the cruiser that the officer asked why the suspect attacked the METRO driver, to which the man replied about his hatred of Hispanic people, police said.

As if that wasn’t enough, the man, booked into Harris County Jail as Burdick, allegedly kicked a detention officer.

METRO Police Chief Vera Bumpers noted the driver and the two officers that Burdick is accused of attacking are all Hispanic

Burdick was charged with assault on a public servant and two counts of harassment of a public servant, all enhanced to a hate crime.

Burdick is being held on bond totaling $7,500. He was not present for his initial appearance in probable cause court because he was being combative at the time.

A follow-up court date was scheduled for Monday.