A 48-YEAR-OLD Navigators man has been charged with threatening to kill an Indian taxi driver during an early morning assault in Sebastopol.Leading Senior Constable Michelle Walsh said the 24-year-old driver picked up a drunk passenger at a residential address about 2.15am and shortly afterwards the passenger became abusive towards him.The driver then sought refuge at a service station in Skipton St, after which the passenger damaged his taxi and followed him inside the store, where he verbally and physically assaulted him. She said though racial slurs formed part of the passenger's tirade of abuse towards the driver, it was not believed to be a racially motivated attack."He was picked up from a private address and he was intoxicated and unfortunately taxi drivers are soft targets,'' Sen Const Walsh said."There were definitely racial comments made but it's not believed at this stage he specifically targeted the driver because he was of Indian descent.''A 48-year-old Navigators man was arrested at the service station and held in custody overnight at Ballarat police station.He was interviewed by Ballarat police this morning and charged with two counts of unlawful assault, make threat to kill and criminal damage.He has been remanded in custody to appear in Ballarat Magistrates' Court this afternoon.Sen Const Walsh said the driver was not injured in the attack.