ATLANTA — As Joe Sawyer was standing next to his daughter, Lauren Sawyer-Allen's grave on Tuesday, he looked on at his grandkids, who were kneeling down and blowing kisses to their mom.
"We miss her, the whole family misses her," Peachtree Corners Councilman Joe Sawyer explained.
Lauren, 31, was shot and killed while driving for the rideshare company, Lyft, on the night of Nov. 21 in DeKalb County. Sawyer said Lauren picked up a pregnant woman, who unbeknownst to her, had been in a domestic dispute with a man – she was being driven to see in Lithonia. DeKalb County Police said as Lauren was dropping off her passenger at the man's house on Cedar Croft Court, he came out and opened fire.
"That guy shot her car 18 times," Sawyer said.
Lauren was killed. Her passenger wasn't hit. The suspect was later shot and killed by DeKalb County Police in a shootout near the original scene.
"It’s very hard... it’s very hard. We look for her to drive down the street any moment," Sawyer explained.
Almost three months after that horrific night, Sawyer is working with state representatives to draft a proposal that would allow Uber and Lyft drivers to carry guns.
"She (Lauren) had no protection for herself," Sawyer said. "Somebody’s got to fight for these drivers. You never know who you’re going to have in the backseat."
In 2019, Rep. Scot Turner (R-Holly Springs) sponsored a bill that would have given drivers, who had their concealed weapons permit, the ability to carry a gun. At the time, Turner was also an Uber driver. He said the proposal would've helped protect rideshare drivers from being targets of crime. The bill never made it to the floor.
"Hey, it's 2023, I mean it's a state law now you don't need a permit to carry a gun, now it's state law," Sawyer explained. "They need to be able to protect themselves."
Currently, Uber and Lyft have weapon policies that prohibit weapons inside a vehicle being driven by an employee of either company.
Uber's 'Firearms Prohibition Policy states:
Our goal is to ensure that everyone has a safe and reliable ride. That's why Uber prohibits riders and their guests, as well as driver and delivery partners, from carrying firearms of any kind while using our app*
Anyone who violates this policy may lose access to Uber.
*To the extent permitted by applicable law.
Lyft's 'Weapon Policy states:
Lyft has a strict "No Weapons" policy for all of its properties. This includes Lyft Hubs and service centers.
Our "No Weapons" policy applies when you are doing business as a representative of Lyft, which includes times that you are driving for Lyft, as well as times that you are visiting a Lyft Hub.
This means that even in places where it is legal to carry a weapon, we ask that you do not carry a weapon on any Lyft property.
We approach this from a community perspective. It's hard to know what someone else is or isn't comfortable with. The mere presence of a weapon might make another community member distressed and fear for his or her own personal safety.
At a minimum, a "weapon" includes any form of firearm. There are many items that could be considered weapons besides firearms, such as handguns, stun guns, explosives, knives, sling shots and tasers. Lyft reserves sole judgment on what else may constitute a "weapon." If you have any questions about whether various items could be considered a "weapon" under this policy, please contact Lyft Support before bringing any questionable items onto Lyft property.
Note: The general policy above does not apply to authorized security personnel contracted or employed by Lyft or to law enforcement personnel.
If you witnessed possession of a weapon in a Lyft vehicle, please let us know by tapping 'Contact Support' below.
11Alive reached out to both rideshare companies by email on Tuesday night but they haven't responded.
Sawyer understands there are a lot of mixed feelings about the topic.
"I used to not like guns but I got them. You've got to protect yourself," Sawyer explained.
He said he doesn't know how far the proposal will get or the type of response from lawmakers and the community but he explained why he's doing it.
"We’re going to do something for her (Lauren) in her honor," he said.
Lauren left behind three children. Sawyer and his wife are now raising them.
"I was two years from retirement, but now I’m 10 years from retirement because I have to take care of my grandkids, they’re first in our lives now, our whole life has changed," Sawyer said.