Watch: Dramatic shootout between driver and passenger on moving bus

The chaos began after the passenger asked to get off between stops. Photo / AP

Dramatic footage shows the moment a bus driver and passenger engaged in a shootout on a moving bus in the US.

The chaos began after the passenger asked to get off between stops on a bus in North Carolina on May 18.

In the clip, a man identified as Omarri Shariff Tobias, 22, can be heard shouting: “I dare you. I dare you to touch me. I’m going to pop your a**.”

The footage then shows Tobias moving to the bus’s front door, before pulling his gun out of his jacket pocket, as two bystanders cower in the background.

The driver, identified as David Fullard, responds by exposing his own firearm before they both engage in a fast-paced shootout.

The transparent partition between Tobias and Fullard is left completely shattered by bullets.

After the exchange, the driver stops the bus and leaves his seat, while Tobias crawls along the ground towards the back of the vehicle.

Gunfire then continues as Fullard fires towards the rear of the bus, where Tobias is ducking for cover.

Both men were hit by bullets during the incident - Fullard in the arm and Tobias in the abdomen.

They were taken to hospital and are both expected to recover from their injuries, according to the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), which runs the bus network. Both bystanders were unharmed.

The firearms were confiscated by officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

The chaos began after the passenger asked to get off between stops. Photo / AP

‘Tragic expression of gun violence in our community’

Brent Cagle, the chief executive of the bus company, described the incident as a “tragic expression of the gun violence in our community”.

“We will not be able to solve this problem on our own. However, CATS is committed to doing what we can to address this with our partners at CMPD, and our partners at RATP Dev who employ and manage our bus operators,” he said.

Tobias has been arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries, communicating threats, and carrying a concealed firearm, according to police.

Fullard has been fired from his position, but it is not yet clear whether he will face legal action.

His employer RATP Dev/Transit Management does not allow their employees to carry firearms while working.

Fullard claimed that he carried the gun because he did not feel safe while working.