Woman who threw urine at Metro bus driver sentenced to more than 5 months in prison

WASHINGTON - The woman who pleaded guilty to throwing a cup of urine at a D.C. Metro bus driver has been sentenced to over five months in jail.

Opal Brown was sentenced Thursday in a D.C. courtroom. FOX 5's Bob Barnard says all but 120 days have been suspended, leaving Brown, who was already in custody, with approximately 43 days left to serve. She will receive credit for time served.

Barnard says Brown has also been sentenced to three years of probation, must remain drug free, and must avoid the X2 bus route she was on when the incident happened. "I want to apologize to the community and bus driver," she said in court during her sentencing. Barnard reports that she later stated the bus driver wasn't really affected by what happened because her name was not in the news like her own was. The victim was not in court.

According to court documents, the incident happened in August of this year. Brown was about to exit the bus when the driver told the suspect to "Have a nice day." Brown responded saying, "Are you talking to me?" before throwing the urine on the female driver.

After Metro Transit Police released surveillance video of the incident on Tuesday, the 38-year-old Brown was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault the following day after turning herself in to police.

Court documents say Brown admitted to committing the assault and told police she tossed the urine because she was mad at the driver and hates Metro. She also wrote an apology letter and had it in her possession when she was taken into custody by police.

Metro Transit Police said they also have video of Brown urinating into the cup on the bus before pouring it on the driver.

Councilmember Jack Evans, who along with Councilmember Trayon White co-introduced legislation that would make it so these types of assaults are charged as felonies.

Metro Union 689 says they fully support the legislation, which has until the end of next year to go before a committee hearing, and if passed will then to the full council for a final vote.