A Gwinnett County man, tired of school buses “speeding on his street,” took matters into his own hands Monday morning, police said.
He was arrested for his efforts.
Joseph Randolph Durden, 65, was booked into the Gwinnett County jail Monday on charges that include disorderly conduct, disrupting a public school and interference with government property, a felony. According to witnesses, he attacked a bus transporting children as it traveled near his Norcross-area home.
A Gwinnett County police incident report said the bus was traveling down Noblett Road around 7:30 a.m. when Durden got in front of it and caused the driver to stop.
“He started hitting the hood of the bus with (his) hand and yelling,” the incident report said. “He went around to the side, where the loading door was, and started banging on it and yelling at (the driver) to open the door. He kept hitting the glass with an open hand, and then he grabbed the door handle and kept trying to open the door.”
The handle then broke off, but Durden allegedly kept trying to get on the bus.
“The children started screaming in fear of the subject,” police said.
Durden fell to the ground when the driver attempted to slowly pull away but only gave up his efforts when another bus appeared and honked its horn, police said.
Officers responding to Durden’s nearby home reportedly found him with a beer in his hand.
“I asked Durden what happened and he stated he was tired of buses speeding on his street,” the responding officer wrote.
As of Wednesday morning, Durden remained in the Gwinnett County jail without bond.
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