SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A 47-year-old man faces aggravated assault charges after allegedly pulling a gun on another driver during a road rage incident near Scottsdale Road and Loop 101. Per court paperwork, the April 27 confrontation was captured by the victim's Tesla camera.
The Tesla driver, who ABC15 is not identifying, said his 3-year-old child was in the car during the frightening encounter.
"I really didn't know what I did to initially set him off, I really didn't," the Tesla driver said.
Video footage shows the truck speeding ahead to confront the Tesla at a stoplight, where the two drivers exchanged words before the situation escalated dramatically.
"He pulls a gun, says something about how he hates f-word Tesla owners,” the Tesla driver said. “He racks the gun, so pulls it back and points it at me.”
Scottsdale detectives didn't arrest the truck driver until this month, according to court paperwork.
When police did arrest him, they found a handgun in his truck, which they said the defendant admitted was likely the same one used in the alleged road rage assault.
Court documents reveal the suspect's truck was previously involved in another road rage assault in 2019, though no one was convicted in that case.
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When questioned, the truck driver allegedly told investigators he felt he was within his rights to show his weapon.
"He thought he was able to point his firearm at the victim because one had been pointed at him before - obviously that logic does not hold," a prosecutor said during the man’s initial court appearance.
For the Tesla driver, the most terrifying aspect was having his toddler in the car during the confrontation.
"Thank goodness she was sleeping at the time, but she woke up and there were policemen all around us. It was a very, very, very stressful situation," he said.
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