Video: Florida man attacks driver with knife during road rage incident, victim pulls out gun, deputies say
Man attacks driver with knife during road rage incident, deputies say
Rafael Rivera, 50, was arrested and booked into jail under suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after deputies said he swung at another man with a knife, who then pulled out a gun, following an apparent road rage incident.
PALM COAST, Fla. - Intense cellphone video shows the moments deputies say a Florida man attacked another driver with a knife during an apparent road rage incident and the victim turned the tables by pulling out a gun.
Rafael Rivera, 50, was arrested and booked into jail under suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. He is being held without bond.
The incident reportedly happened Tuesday afternoon in Palm Coast, near Pine Lakes Parkway and Whirlaway Drive.
Flagler County Sheriff's Office said Rivera was driving a Silver Toyota Tacoma when he cut in front of the other man, who was on a motorcycle with a woman. Both men stopped and that's when, according to the man, Rivera pulled out a knife.
"Get on your bike and go!" Rivera can be heard yelling in the video. The two men and woman can be heard arguing with one another and tossing out expletives.
Fearing for his life, the victim grabbed metallic knuckles, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
In the video, Rivera can be seen swinging at the man and then proceeds to swing the knife at him. In response, the man pulled out a gun and pointed it as the man.
Rivera backs away and proceeds to call 911. "I just had a guy pulled a gun on me," he told 911 dispatcher.
"Because you swiped your knife – and I have it on camera," the man's wife responds.
Rafael Rivera/Flagler Co. Sheriff's Office
Deputies detained both men while the incident was being investigated. Rivera was arrested following interviews and the cell phone video, the sheriff's office said.
Both men were detained while the incident was being investigated. Following interviews and watching the video, Rivera was arrested.
"Our roadways are going to experience an increase in traffic and delays and things. We're going to need to find a way to be patient, talk ourselves down because we're all human and it does happen," said Chief John Welker, who leads Flagler County's Community Policing Division.
He cautioned while it was useful that the incident was recorded, it's not always wise to confront another driver directly. Instead, people should contact law enforcement.
Records show that Rivera was previously arrested for grand theft and criminal mischief.