Editor’s note: An Associated Press report about a lawsuit supposedly filed by Kalamazoo, Michigan, shooting suspect Jason Brian Dalton on March 15 was a hoax, Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Pali Matyas told NBC News on March 17. For more information, click here.
DETROIT — A man who police say told investigators that "a devil figure" on Uber's app was controlling him when he allegedly killed six people in western Michigan is suing the ride-sharing company.
In his handwritten complaint filed Tuesday, Jason Dalton doesn't mention the shootings directly, but said: "I am currently in prison because of Uber." Dalton is accused of fatally shooting six people and wounding two others between picking up passengers for Uber in Kalamazoo on Feb. 20.
In his lawsuit, Dalton seeks $10 million from Uber. He claims that the company "ripped" him off and failed to pay him back wages and overtime. The 1½-page lawsuit was mailed to the U.S. District Court in Detroit.
"I busted my butt for them," Dalton wrote. "They gave me no Christmas bonus, I wasn't invited to any corporate parties, they made me work when I was sick and didn't let me spend time with my two children."
He continued: "My life is ruined because of Uber. My wife is divorcing me because of Uber."
The company said Dalton started working for Uber earlier this year.
Related: Kalamazoo Massacre: Uber Driver Jason Dalton Says He Was 'Taken Over' by App
"It's hard to know how to respond to someone who refuses to take responsibility for his own actions," Uber said in an emailed statement Wednesday. "Our hearts go out to the victims' families who have to live with the consequences of his terrible crimes."
Dalton is charged with murder and attempted murder in the shootings at three separate locations.
According to documents police released Monday, Dalton told investigators that when he opened the Uber app, "a devil head popped up on his screen and when he pressed the button on the app, that is when all the problems started."
His attorney has not responded to requests for comment on his client's behalf.
