Ex-Seattle cop investigated after trapping woman in his car while driving for Uber

A former Seattle police officer with a history of harassing women is under investigation for allegedly continuing to do so as a driver for the ride-sharing service Uber.

KIRO-TV reported that Peter Leutz was identified in court documents as the driver accused of refusing to follow a woman's requests to stop the ride during a December 2015 encounter.

"We do not tolerate harassment or abuse from drivers or riders," Uber said in a statement. "This individual was immediately barred from driving with Uber as soon as we learned of the alleged incident, and we have offered our assistance to law enforcement in their investigation."

According to KOMO-TV, the woman told investigators that Leutz "was talking about his anger with women" while giving her a ride to the apartment. During the hour-long incident, he also allegedly "pointed out various locations and telling her he was a former law enforcement officer and talked about the various crimes he investigated there."

When Leutz finally dropped her off, authorities said, he kissed her on the lips and asked for her phone number, adding that he would know if she provided a fake one, based on her user information. She subsequently received several "strange" texts from him.

She finally reported him to police after security camera footage caught him entering the courtyard of her apartment building on April 13 to leave her a note. Investigators said she did not do so after her first meeting with Leutz because she felt that it "never went well when you report a police officer to another police officer from stories she had heard from TV or friends."

Photography Is Not A Crime reported that Leutz was fired just nine months before the incident after complaints from three women regarding unwanted advances. One of the women said he sent her 109 text messages within a 39-day period after giving her his number during a traffic stop.

KIRO also reported that, according to local police, there has been a surge in sexual assault allegations involving drivers for both Uber and its biggest competitor, Lyft.