Taxi Driver Attack Brings Hate Crimes Charges For Palo Alto Man: Police

PALO ALTO - A Palo Alto man has been arrested on suspicion of committing two hate crimes after an altercation in late May between the man and a taxi driver.

According to Palo Alto police, 52-year-old David Charles Cirner of Palo Alto allegedly assaulted the cab driver following a parking dispute at the Palo Alto transit center on Friday, May 27, just before 7 p.m.

Police say Cirner was sitting in his black 2015 Toyota Camry in the parking lot on Urban Lane, just south of University Circle, when the cab driver, a man in his forties from India, drove up in his Ford Crown Victoria taxi cab and stopped in the roadway, partially behind Cirner’s vehicle.

According to police, the cab driver said he got out and asked Cirner, whose vehicle was allegedly parked in two parking spots, if he would move his car into one spot or the other so the taxi could park in the second spot.

Palo Alto police claim Cirner suddenly began yelling racial epithets at the driver, who backed off and got back into the taxi.

Cirner got out of his car, approached the passenger side door of the taxi, and attempted to punch the driver while continuing to yell racial epithets, according to police.

At one point during the escalating situation, after the taxi driver took out his cell phone to try to take a picture of Cirner, police say Cirner went to the driver’s side window of the cab, punched the driver once in the jaw, and grabbed the taxi driver's cell phone out of his hand.

According to police, Cirner then threw the driver’s cell phone back at him, striking the driver in the head so hard that the phone’s screen cracked.

Palo Alto police say Cirner then returned to his own car, and allegedly backed it twice into the taxicab while attempting to leave the parking spot.

Cirner finally fled after jumping a curb, and drove away westbound on University Circle. Palo Alto police caught up with him as he was travelling southbound on Alma Street.

Palo Alto police say at least two independent witnesses observed the incident, and one of them called police.

The taxi driver complained of pain to his jaw, according to officials, but did not require medical attention at the scene.

Both vehicles sustained minor damage as a result of the two collisions.

Police booked David Charles Cirner into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for felony robbery (for taking the victim’s cell phone by force), two misdemeanor counts of hate crimes (one for the physical assault, the other for damaging personal property), and misdemeanor hit-and-run.

Anyone with any other information about the incident is asked to call the Palo Alto 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413.

Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.orgor sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.

-image via Palo Alto police