A taxi driver in Truro has sparked controversy after being filmed driving toward a group of teenagers before exiting his vehicle and shouting at them.
The driver, Stephen Rowe of KC Taxis, claims he was attempting to intervene in a situation where the youths were accused of intimidating two homeless men on Boscawen Street.
The video, which has circulated online, shows Mr Rowe beeping his horn as the teenagers jump out of the way.
He then steps out of his taxi and tells them to move on, using expletives.
Despite accusations that he was attempting to run them over, Mr Rowe maintains that he was not driving directly at them but rather stopping safely nearby to confront the situation.
Mr Rowe defended his actions, insisting he was reacting instinctively to protect the homeless men. Speaking to CornwallLive, he said: “It was a quick reaction after I saw the kids pushing the homeless men around and getting in their faces.
“I thought of the poor guy who got beaten up in the multi-storey car park a couple of years ago and almost died.”
He argued that his approach was necessary to disperse the group and prevent harm, stating, “I pulled up to the kerb, put my handbrake up, and jumped out to start shouting at them.
The reason I was shouting was because it’s the same tactic the police use to deter people.”
Mr. Rowe, an ex-military member, said he relied on past experience to de-escalate the situation: “In certain situations, you need to be assertive. If I had walked up calmly and said, ‘Excuse me, gentlemen, please leave him alone,’ they wouldn’t have listened. That’s why I did what I did.”
The video captures one of the teenagers accusing Mr Rowe of trying to run them over, to which he responds, “I would f***ing do it again.”
When asked to clarify, Mr Rowe stood by his actions; he said: “I would do it again because if it stopped teenagers from beating someone up, then yes, I would. I would hope that if it was my granddad or someone vulnerable being intimidated, another driver would do the same.”
However, he emphasiised that he never intended to harm anyone. “I was beeping my horn to disperse them. I was not actually that close to them. Why would I randomly drive at kids?”
Following the incident, Mr Rowe contacted the police to report the altercation. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that they received reports of a disturbance involving multiple youths on January 19.
“No injuries were reported, and enquiries are currently ongoing,” a spokesperson said.
Cornwall Council’s licensing department, which regulates taxi operations in the county, has also been informed.
A council spokesperson said: “We receive many reports related to licensing compliance, including the behaviour of licensed taxi drivers. Investigations are undertaken as deemed necessary.”
Possible actions range from no sanctions to a full license review.
Amanda Turner, a passenger in Mr Rowe’s taxi at the time, corroborated his version of events. “The teens were provoking the two homeless men. The driver asked if I minded if he stopped, and I said no.
“He got out and told them to ‘f*** off.’ One of the kids asked what he was going to do about it,” she recalled.
Ms Turner added that she felt safe throughout the incident and believed the driver’s intentions were good. “I thought he didn’t have to do it, but he said he was sick of this happening in Truro. We need more people like him who are willing to stand up against this behaviour.”