Police: Man Punches Cab Driver in Face

A 31-year-old man was arrested this weekend after refusing to pay a taxi driver and punching the driver in the face, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

At about 2 a.m. Sunday, Christopher Arrington of Arlington was in the back seat of a cab as a customer, police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said.

Arrington would not provide the driver with a destination, Sternbeck said. Rather, the man would tell the driver where to turn or which way to go at intersections.

Finally, at about 2:07 a.m., the driver stopped the car in the 3100 block of Columbia Pike.

"The driver stopped and said, 'This is how much the fee is at this time. Give me the money and give me the address.' And that's when they got into a verbal altercation and the subject assaulted him," Sternbeck said.

Arrington told police he had several drinks, though he was not charged with any alcohol-related offense, Sternbeck said.

Arrington was arrested and charged with robbery. He was held without bond.

Sternbeck was aware of instances where people try to run away from cabs without paying, but he said instances where a customer gets into a physical confrontation with the driver are rare in Arlington.