Suit: Lyft driver pulled gun on men, used gay slur

A lawsuit has been filed in connection with an incident in September when a Lyft driver allegedly pulled a gun on two men in the Lake View neighborhood.

The six-count suit was filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court by Charlie Calvin and another man who used the pseudonym John Doe in the filing. The two men seek more than $300,000 in damages from the driver and the ridesharing company.

According to the suit, Calvin requested a Lyft early Sept. 1 in the 3300 block of North Halsted and got into Jaleesa Rance’s car with the other man when it arrived.

The pair did not make it far.

During an argument between Rance, 25, and the two men, she pulled over in the 400 block of West Melrose and ordered them out of her car after pulling a gun from the center console and pointing it at them, according to the suit and Chicago Police.

Officers took her into custody shortly after in the 3600 block of North Broadway, police said. Rance, of Aurora, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, all misdemeanors.

“The safety of the Lyft community is our top priority, and we have a strict no weapons policy for both drivers and passengers,” Lyft spokeswoman Alexandra LaManna said in a statement after Rance was charged.

“We have reached out to the passenger and deactivated the driver in question while we look into this matter, and stand ready to assist law enforcement in any investigation,” LaManna added.

A spokesperson for the company was not immediately able to provide a comment about the suit Wednesday night.

In addition to ordering the men from the car at gunpoint, Rance also got out of the car and continued to point the gun at Calvin, according to the suit. She then threatened, “I’ll blast you,” and used the slur.

Included in Tuesday’s filing was a photo allegedly taken of Rance pointing a gun at Calvin outside of her car.

Police said Rance had a valid concealed carry permit.