Springfield Plastic Surgeon Facing Assault Charges After Choking Deaf Uber Driver

A well-known plastic surgeon in the Springfield area has been arrested and charged with assault after he allegedly choked an Uber driver over the weekend.

56-year-old Bharat Shah has been charged with third-degree assault after admitting to putting his arm around the neck of an Uber driver early Saturday morning.

Reports say Shah called for the ride just after midnight Saturday, April 7th. Police say a short time later, they received a call from Shah accusing the driver of hitting him repeatedly.

When police arrived at the scene, the driver told authorities in a written statement that he was driving Shah home from a bar in downtown Springfield when he reached over the seat and began choking him.

Authorities discovered that the Uber driver was deaf and mostly nonverbal.

Shah later admitted to choking the driver, saying he didn’t believe he was being taken to his home. Multiple witnesses told police they had seen Shah choking the driver.

A statement from the Wampler and Passanise Law Office, who is representing Shah, said, “Dr. Shah is truly embarrassed and humbled by the attention that has been brought to him and his family.”