Former deputy and son charged in road rage incident

HUDSON (FOX 13) - A former deputy and his son have been charged in connection to a road rage incident, officials announced.

Peter Ciucci, a former Pasco and Hernando county deputy, and his son, Nicholas Paul Tisevich-Ciucci, were arrested after pulling a driver from his vehicle and beating him, according to Pasco County deputies.

On Wednesday just after 2:30 p.m., Ciucci started arguing with the victim who was sitting inside his vehicle at a RaceTrac gas station at 16640 U.S. Highway 19 in Hudson, according to his arrest affidavit.

The argument turned physical and Ciucci reached into the victim’s vehicle through the open door and hit him, causing the victim to drop his cell phone as he was dialing 911, the affidavit read.

Ciucci and his son began punching him in the face and head. The victim fell to the ground and the father and son continued the battering, and the victim was placed into a choke hold. 

Deputies said the incident started as a road rage incident, in which the father and son were called by a third person asking him to confront the victim, who had minor injuries. 

Ciucci faces charges including false imprisonment. His son also faces charges including battery.

The incident was captured on surveillance cameras at the gas station, showing the duo beating the victim up.

"It hurts because we are trained in defense, self-defense, we are trained in discretion, we are trained in deescalation," said Captain James Steffen with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. "Whether are still active, we have that training when we are not active. This is a matter of choice. Unfortunately bad choices were made."

The victim spoke on the condition of anonymity to FOX 13.

"I felt five or six hard shots in the back of the head. I saw stars," he said. "Even if he is ex-law enforcement, he's not above the law. He just basically beat up a guy two-on-one."