A 65-year-old Lauderhill man who uses a wheelchair has been arrested and charged with aggravated battery after police said he struck a woman with a pocketknife while she held a child aboard a bus.
Willie Lester Benjamin was arrested Monday by the Lauderhill Police Department. The incident happened shortly after 7 a.m. in the 2900 block of 56th Avenue, according to an arrest report.
Police said the dispute started on the bus over the wheelchair seating area. Benjamin tried to maneuver his wheelchair into the space the woman occupied, and when she refused to move, police said he rolled over her feet. The argument continued as the bus neared his stop.
As Benjamin headed toward the exit, police said, he pulled out a black pocketknife with a blade of about 4 inches and lunged at the seated woman. The report says he struck her left forearm, causing a superficial injury. She declined treatment from fire rescue crews.
The bus driver told investigators the two had argued before, and Benjamin’s wife, who was also on the bus, described “prior negative interactions,” police said. The woman told investigators she wants to pursue charges.
Benjamin was taken to the Broward County Main Jail, where he remained Tuesday morning, jail records show. He faces one count of aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability, and no bond amount had been set.
