Permit Holder Loses Pistol in Road Rage Incident

[XavierBreath]

Cops seize gun shown by driver
By JEFF MILL, Middletown

CROMWELL -- A driver was arrested Wednesday evening after he allegedly brandished a 9 mm handgun at another driver who had followed him off Route 9 to complain about his driving.
However, the suspect told police he only drew the gun for his own protection when the other driver waved a long black object that he took to be "a bat or a club." In fact, the object turned out to be an elongated flashlight.

Police said the incident began on Route 9 shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday, when a driver later identified as Scott A. Morris, 34, of 125 Bailey Road, Middletown, apparently took exception to the driving skills of Brian D. Shea, 31, of 28 Pardee St., Bristol.

When Shea exited Route 9 at exit 19, Morris followed him off, police said, and pulled alongside him to remonstrate with Shea about his driving -- even though Morris had his 3-year-old son in the car at the time.

During the course of the "discussion," Morris allegedly showed a long black object. In turn, Shea told police, he removed a Czech-made CZ-75D compact semiautomatic 9 mm handgun from his glove compartment and placed it in his lap.

However, in so doing, Shea not only allowed Morris to see the gun, but Shea also cocked it in full view of Morris. That, police said, caused Morris to break off the conversation.

He turned right onto Route 372, and then made an abrupt left onto Route 3, all while attempting to call police on his cellular telephone to report the incident.

Meanwhile, police said if Shea was not in pursuit, he at least was following Morris intently.

At the intersection of Route 524, both men turned right -- and happened upon Officer Joseph DiMauro, who was on routine patrol.

Morris and Shea both pulled over behind DiMauro and Morris got out to report the incident to the officer.

After listening to both versions, DiMauro decided to arrest Shea, who was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree threatening. He was subsequently released on $5,000 bond for an Aug. 2 appearance in Middlesex Superior Court.

Police said they have confiscated Shea’s handgun and will be in touch with the state Department of Public Safety and will request that the department revoke his permit to carry the gun because of what they say was his "unsafe handling" of the weapon.

To contact Jeff Mill, call (860)347-3331 ext. 221 or email jmill@middletownpress.com.

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[alan]

Sounds like a case of a couple of clowns with ROOM TEMPERATURE IQ's, cool rooms at that.

Mr Shea has every right, possibly, to place his own life at risk. He does not have the right to do the same with the life of another, in this case, his young son. Sounds like Mr. Morris wasn't all that smart either.

As for Shea, one assumes he had a CARRY PERMIT, what the blazes was his pistol doing IN THE GLOVE BOX OF HIS CAR? Why was it not COPNCEALED ON HIS PERSON, which I suspect the permit not only authorized, but required.

Like I said, a couple of clowns with room temperature IQ's.

 

[Wraith]

Umm... if all happened as the article says... then the permit holder was wronged. We don't know how the conversation went but usually when someone follows you to "complain" about your driving it's more like "what the $%&# was that back there mother*$&@!"

Now why would the other driver have his long black flashlight at the ready? Not like it's a deadly weapon that could be used to kill motorists like Malice Green or anything.

I'll be honest... we don't have enough information but from first glance I don't think the permit holder was wrong to grab his weapon.

 

[jefnvk]

al, its up to each person to decide how to carry the gun. Maybe he doesn't like it on him in the car.

Sounds like the gun owner was wronged, if this story is correct. Threaten soemone, don't be suprised if they threaten back.

 

[redhawk41]

when ALL other options have been exhausted, then the gun comes out

i'd say Shea still had plenty of options at his disposal

 

[Sir William]

I would have arrested them both. Shea and Morris would both be charged with child endangerment for one thing. They never made physical contact and I feel that a better charge would be terroristic threatening if LA has such a state law. It again proves the old saying, he who calls the police first, is the victim. They both need anger management classes. What kind of idiot pursues another diver to complain about their driving with their child in the vehicle?

 

[USP45usp]

Not enough evidence that I can see.

But, if someone is following me, and then attempts to have a "conversation" and based on what is being said, and then I'm threatened with a long black object, I will have my gun at the ready also.

When the gun owner showed his weapon, he got what he wanted, the AGRESSOR (the man following and threatening in the first place) drove off.

For those that don't think that a flashlight can do damage, about 10 years ago I was attacked by a huge dog (don't know what type it was but it was huge) at night when I was walking to the local pizza place and all I had was a 4 D-Cell Maglight. I hit the dog with it and killed it with one blow, didn't even dent the light frame and the maglight still worked afterward.

As for the AGRESSOR, it's his fault that his son was in the vehicle when HE decided to pursue the victem and then threaten him first. Flashlight or not, it's still a deadly weapon, I know, I've used one before.

Wayne

 

[JohnKSa]

I hit the dog with it and killed it with one blow, didn't even dent the light frame and the maglight still worked afterward.

I'm sorry you got in this situation, but for some strange and twisted reason that I am unable to explain, I find the fact that you report the light still worked afterwards to be more than mildly amusing.

 

[jefnvk]

I got knives in my college dorm room. I have a 4D maglite. If ever threatened, I'm going for a Maglite. Think along the lines of compact baseball bat. Those things can do damage.

 

[USP45usp]

John

I find the fact that you report the light still worked afterwards to be more than mildly amusing.

As hard as I hit that dog (and I was in fear of my life, I needed that leg you know) and the sound that it made, I was thinking that I had busted up the flashlight. But, It still worked.

This is the reason that I have a 3 to 4 cell maglight in each and eveyone of my cars and in my home. The maglight can and is a deadly weapon and it keeps on ticking after giving a licking. (and no, I don't work for them).

Wayne

 

[Sir William]

Somehow I have trouble with the mental image of somebody killing someone with a Mag-Lite at 60 MPH. The threat would have been from the driver using his vehicle as a battering ram.

 

[BillCA]

This just tells me that if someone wants to complain about my driving it's best to keep going, let the jerk have his say through the windows and let it go. And if you've acquired your weapon keep it out of sight until there's a real risk of him injuring you.

Mr. Shea had some options, I think. Continue driving as much as possible (ideally while using a cell phone). Having been followed before by a bunch of punks it's not all that hard to keep making right turns or avoiding the guy.

Mr. Morris, however, should have been charged with reckless child endangerment. Morris's reckless actions escalated the situation and placed himself and child in harm's way. Unless the kid was in a front car-seat Mr. Shea may not known of the child's presence in the car.

Things change once you stop (say at a light or stop sign) and the other party approaches your vehicle carrying an unidentified weapon of some sort.

 

[Eghad]

I just ignore them....not worth getting into a fight.

 

[Rojoe67]

my 2 cents.......

We the trained (some less than others) and licensed better utilize the brain in our sometimes hot little heads.......... Many other ways to handle this stupid situation..... The CCW permit holder had better understand that he or she had better be a notch up on the non-CCW folks. This thing could and would have went south if minor other things took place. I can only say what I think from a limited amount of media but sounds like the loss of permit (at this point) is fair and reasonable to me.... Maybe the court visit will uncover something new???

 

[dev_null]

I believe it's a bad call. CCW holder assessed the threat, beleived he was in danger of grevious bodily injury or worse based on the attacker having the means and showing signs of not being right in the head, and avoided the threat without anyone actually being physically harmed.

I was the recipient of a road rage incident on the highway in a state that does not have reciprocity with my own (traveling from Northern VA up to Wilkes-Barre PA). Had I been armed, I'm honestly not sure what I would have done, because I believed the guy was crazy enough to try to force my car off the road and into a deep ravine. As it turned out, I escaped with just damage to my car and ten years' life scared outa me. The perp ended up paying my repairs and court costs and going to anger management class. Ironically, there are signs on that highway about controlling your road rage. Must be something about that part of PA that brings it out.

 

[TheeBadOne]

If your only tool is a hammer...

 

[k_dawg]

maglights are definately a lethal weapon. in fact, their big "claim to fame" in their initial marketing to LEO's was that it could replace their baton, and still keep working.

 

[LAK]

I don't see why the permit holder, Shea, has been charged with anything.

If anyone, even with a carload of kids, follows me off a main road and pulls up alongside me under circumstances like these - I am anticipating a possible violent assault, robbery etc. Any unidentified object produced under a circumstance like this would be perceived to be threatening to me, and would warrant a "ready" position - even if intended to be out of view.

Shea probably should have called 911 on a cellphone (if he has one) to report first that someone was following him - requesting that the 911 operator stay on the line with him, and maintain a narration of events leading up to the person to person contact with Morris - and Shea's own personal actions.

But the mere fact that Morris followed Shea and pulled alongside him was begging to be interpreted as a perceived threat. IMO Morris is lucky to be alive and unscathed.

 

[steve154]

I think that what everyone is missing here is that after Shea showed the weapon the other driver left the area and the incident was terminated. Shea then decided keep things going and followed the other driver. His claim to be in fear of being attacked and thus needing to produce a weapon is bogus based on that, besides the fact that it would have been pretty hard for the other driver to attack him with a flashlight while the two were driving down the road. If he was so concerned he would not and should not have persued the other driver. He shouldn't have persued in any case. This was a case of two hot heads acting like little children and both should have been charged.

 

[perception]

Steve got it right. I believe that Shea was justified in getting the gun ready to go, as he very well could have been afraid for his life. He screwed up though when he decided to follow Morris after the altercation was over.