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Tom Byrne Beat a Cabbie on Monday, Allegedly

By Kyle Scott

Published: Jan 18th, 2012 · 10:06 AM EST

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Celebrity

Somewhere, Patrick Kane is applauding (and chewing his mouthguard like a douche).

97.5 The Fanatic evening host Tom Byrne was arrested on Monday night for beating a cab driver. Gossip King Dan Gross has the details: [Philly.com]

Byrne, who turns 31 next week, was arrested around 2 a.m. Monday after a cab driver told police that he had been punched repeatedly by Byrne whom he picked up a few minutes earlier at 12th and Sansom streets. The driver told police that Byrne asked him to pull over at 6th and Pine streets at which point he began to get out of the car without paying.

When the driver asked for payment of $5, he says Byrne refused to pay and said, “I’m a celebrity. This is my neighborhood. What are you gonna do about it?” After the driver began to follow Byrne down the street, Byrne “Grabbed the complainants glasses and knocked them off his face. Defendant punched complainant in face several times and dragged him,” said Officer Tanya Little, quoting the arrest report. 

 

Ugh. Very few people in the world can get away with playing the I'm a celebrity card (like, actual celebrities), and evening sports talk radio hosts aren’t one of them. And that’s to say nothing of the whole beating-a-cabbie-on-a-sidewalk thing, an action that continues a violent trend of Philadelphia beatings in the first few weeks of 2012.

Byrne was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, robbery and theft of services, according to Philly.com. His girlfriend posted the $500 bail. 

Bryne was scheduled to be on-air last night, but the station pulled him and has not announced when he will return. Program director Matt Nahigian declined comment to both Gross and myself.