GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A new wrongful death lawsuit is shedding light on the 2024 hijacking of a Gwinnett Ride bus that ended with a man’s death during a multi-county police pursuit.
Joseph Grier is currently in custody and charged with murder in connection with the incident, which investigators say began in downtown Atlanta and ended in Stone Mountain after he allegedly took control of a Gwinnett County transit bus.
The lawsuit was filed by Jazzmyn Byrd, the daughter of Ernest Byrd Jr., who was shot and killed during the hijacking.
Byrd is suing multiple defendants, including Gwinnett County, the City of Atlanta, a transit contractor, and the bus driver, alleging a series of failures led to her father’s death.
Authorities say Grier allegedly hijacked the bus following a confrontation in downtown Atlanta, leading to a multi-county pursuit with passengers still on board. Investigators say Byrd was shot during a struggle with Grier.
In court filings, attorneys argue the situation did not unfold instantly, but instead “developed over a period of time while passengers remained aboard the Ride Gwinnett transit bus,” adding that the duration of the incident allowed for “observation, assessment, communication, and response” by those responsible for operating and overseeing the bus.
Channel 2 spoke with bus driver Ernst Antoine shortly after the 2024 hijacking, during which he was held at gunpoint. He described the intensity of the moment and his focus on protecting passengers.
“And then even if I’m dying, I will protect them and the bus and protect the people outside the bus. Because I have to do the right thing, no matter what happened to me,” said
Attorney John Hadden said liability in cases like this often comes down to what was observable in real time and whether there was an opportunity to intervene.
“If there was enough showing that Joseph Grier was acting erratically as he was getting on the bus and while he was on the bus and the bus driver had time to take some kind of action to stop the bus or alert the authorities then there may be a viable claim there,” Hadden added.
In a statement, Jazzmyn Byrd declined to comment on the lawsuit but referred questions to her attorneys.
Gwinnett County and Transdev both declined to comment, citing pending litigation. The City of Atlanta has not publicly responded to the allegations.
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