Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — A group of Playa del Carmen taxi drivers are being looked into after a video of a physical altercation began circulating.
Luis Herrera Quiam, the General Secretary of the Taxi Drivers Union, says they are working with local authorities to fully identify the handful of taxi drivers seen on the video. Those found guilty of participating in the altercation will be suspended.
Herrera Quiam is referring to a phone video that began circulating over the weekend showing five taxi drivers physically assaulting a man and woman. The assault was captured outside a 10th Avenue nightclub in central Playa del Carmen Saturday.
During a Tuesday press conference he said testimonies collected indicate that the taxi drivers began the attack after the man assaulted the woman and the woman requested help.
When one of the drivers came to help, he was hit by the man, which is when the other taxi drivers intervened.
The video shows four to five taxi drivers hitting and kicking the man while the woman attempted to shield him. According to Herrera Quiam, some of the taxi drivers involved have already been identified, but not all of them.
The Union is working with local authorities to use city surveillance cameras to identify the other participating drivers and / or their vehicles. “That is what has us a little tied up,” he said.
“We are not in favor of any type of aggression, therefore, we have already initiated investigations so that if necessary, we seek the expulsion of these colleagues from the union,” he said.
According to Herrera Quiam, when the couple returned to their hotel room, their argument continued at which time hotel staff called police.
