A biotech CEO is taking Uber to court after an illegal immigrant driver was caught on camera violently assaulting him in downtown Charleston, South Carolina—sending his dog crashing to the pavement.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Charleston County, alleges TC BioPharm CEO Bryan Kobel, 45, suffered a concussion in April after Uber driver and illegal Russian national Uliumdzhiev Vadim Nikolaevich, 42, attacked him in a King Street restaurant parking lot.
Nikolaevich was arrested and released on a $10,000 bond for second-degree assault and battery, according to Charleston County Sheriff’s Office records.
He was later placed on an immigration hold after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Georgia, according to Kobel’s attorneys.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kobel said the driver appeared to be upset about his service dog. When Nikolaevich refused to allow the pet, Kobel asked to cancel the ride.
Surveillance footage shows Nikolaevich getting out of the Audi SUV, grabbing Kobel by the throat, then headbutting and punching him—knocking the unconscious CEO and his dog to the ground.
Nikolaevich quickly got back into the car and drove away, as stunned witnesses called 911 and rushed to help, footage showed.
