photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle is pictured June 28, 2022.

Updated at 5:20 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27

A Lawrence bus driver was arrested Saturday after bus riders said she threatened them with a Taser, according to Lawrence police.

Police were called to the Lawrence Community Shelter, 3655 E. 25th St., just before 1 p.m. Saturday. The person who called, and others who rode the bus to the stop nearby, indicated that the bus driver had threatened them with a Taser, said LPD spokeswoman Laura McCabe.

“After a thorough investigation, officers arrested the bus driver on suspicion of aggravated assault,” McCabe told the Journal-World.

Douglas County Jail logs, however, indicate that the driver was released and no charge had been filed. Sheriff’s Office spokesman George Diepenbrock said the driver was released at 5:25 p.m. Saturday, around four hours after the arrest. The Journal-World has reached out to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office regarding the status of a charge in the case.

When the newspaper asked the City of Lawrence about the driver, including a question about her employment status, the only response of city spokeswoman Cori Wallace was, “All bus drivers are employed by TransDev,” a reference to the city’s contracted service provider.

A spokesperson for TransDev, Mitun Seguin, told the Journal-World late Monday afternoon that the incident was under investigation, but she declined to provide other details, including the employment status of the driver.

“While we cannot comment on personnel details, we can reiterate that safety is our top priority. We train all our operators on safety and customer service protocols, including de-escalation techniques,” Seguin said in an email.