CBS46 News
It happened in Coweta County, Georgia. Glad the driver didn't shoot him first cos he had no idea what may have been in that car. A motorcycle rider pulled out a gun and pointed it at the driver of a car right behind him, Sunday. It happened in Coweta County near the border of Fayette County. To the man who captured the incident on his private dashboard camera, it looked like road rage, plain and simple. The witness who recorded the video is a former Georgia police officer.
CBS46 is protecting his identity because of the nature of his current work. In his opinion, he said the rider put everyone near him in danger. If the rider felt threatened, he said it looked like he had the power to get away from the situation. "Drawing a firearm, in just about every case, should be an absolute last resort. It seems like it was this guy's first resort," said the witness. The witness followed the motorcycle while on the phone with 911 and helped police catch up with him. The rider was put in handcuffs, but in a surprise move, Coweta County Sheriff's deputies decided to let him go.
"This guy is college-age. We know what just happened in Oregon. How do you not take a firearm out of the hand of a guy who's going to behave this way- who's going to act this reckless," said the witness. So what was their reason for not arresting him? The witness said deputies told him they didn't think the people in the black car would be in town to testify at the first appearance in court. It's an excuse the former police officer said he's not buying. In the opinion of the witness, police should have charged the man with disorderly conduct at the very least. "If I pull a weapon on someone in broad daylight, if I commit aggravated assault, and I don't even go to jail, I don't even get a ticket- they didn't give a citation to this guy- what do I have to do to get arrested in Coweta County?" asked the witness. Peachtree City Police were the first ones to catch up with the suspect, but when Coweta County deputies arrived, the witness said they called their supervisor and received instructions to let the man go.
Coweta County Sheriff's Lt. Col. James Yarbrough sent CBS46 the following written statement: "The initial report was made to Peachtree City Police this date by the victim flagging down one of their officers. After the victim called 911 and gave a description of suspect, the motorcycle and direction of travel, Peachtree City found a subject matching that description. Also a witness stopped and advised officers that he had gotten the incident on his personal dash cam . Upon viewing the video officers discovered the incident had happened in Coweta county and we were notified to assist. We spoke with witness and have the information on the suspect, but the victim told PTC police he needed to go home to Henry county and was not available for us to take a report/statement or to take a look at the suspect. All of our interviews were videoed and recorded and the investigation is continuing and we hope to have the victim in soon for his report." The witness said he felt like he should also be considered a victim because the gun was briefly pointed at him as the rider was drawing it. He said he is planning to ask a judge, Monday, for an arrest warrant as a private citizen. That is something Georgia residents have the power to do if they disagree with an officer's decision not to charge someone with a crime.
Copyright 2015 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
It happened in Coweta County, Georgia. Glad the driver didn't shoot him first cos he had no idea what may have been in that car. A motorcycle rider pulled out a gun and pointed it at the driver of a car right behind him, Sunday. It happened in Coweta County near the border of Fayette County. To the man who captured the incident on his private dashboard camera, it looked like road rage, plain and simple. The witness who recorded the video is a former Georgia police officer.
CBS46 is protecting his identity because of the nature of his current work. In his opinion, he said the rider put everyone near him in danger. If the rider felt threatened, he said it looked like he had the power to get away from the situation. "Drawing a firearm, in just about every case, should be an absolute last resort. It seems like it was this guy's first resort," said the witness. The witness followed the motorcycle while on the phone with 911 and helped police catch up with him. The rider was put in handcuffs, but in a surprise move, Coweta County Sheriff's deputies decided to let him go.
"This guy is college-age. We know what just happened in Oregon. How do you not take a firearm out of the hand of a guy who's going to behave this way- who's going to act this reckless," said the witness. So what was their reason for not arresting him? The witness said deputies told him they didn't think the people in the black car would be in town to testify at the first appearance in court. It's an excuse the former police officer said he's not buying. In the opinion of the witness, police should have charged the man with disorderly conduct at the very least. "If I pull a weapon on someone in broad daylight, if I commit aggravated assault, and I don't even go to jail, I don't even get a ticket- they didn't give a citation to this guy- what do I have to do to get arrested in Coweta County?" asked the witness. Peachtree City Police were the first ones to catch up with the suspect, but when Coweta County deputies arrived, the witness said they called their supervisor and received instructions to let the man go.
Coweta County Sheriff's Lt. Col. James Yarbrough sent CBS46 the following written statement: "The initial report was made to Peachtree City Police this date by the victim flagging down one of their officers. After the victim called 911 and gave a description of suspect, the motorcycle and direction of travel, Peachtree City found a subject matching that description. Also a witness stopped and advised officers that he had gotten the incident on his personal dash cam . Upon viewing the video officers discovered the incident had happened in Coweta county and we were notified to assist. We spoke with witness and have the information on the suspect, but the victim told PTC police he needed to go home to Henry county and was not available for us to take a report/statement or to take a look at the suspect. All of our interviews were videoed and recorded and the investigation is continuing and we hope to have the victim in soon for his report." The witness said he felt like he should also be considered a victim because the gun was briefly pointed at him as the rider was drawing it. He said he is planning to ask a judge, Monday, for an arrest warrant as a private citizen. That is something Georgia residents have the power to do if they disagree with an officer's decision not to charge someone with a crime.
Copyright 2015 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
