Maryland Road Rage Fatality (true story)

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booker_t

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On May 26, 2006, a two young men had an altercation in Bel Air, MD, a bustling suburb town center about 20 minutes north east of Baltimore. It resulted in one of them being fatally stabbed, the other pleading guilty and receiving 30 years. The convicted is now seeking a re-trial for a reduced sentence.

Patrick John Walker, of the 800 block of Benjamin Road, was 23 when he was stabbed to death in a case of road rage on May 26, 2006, while on his way to work at Harford Mall. Michael Razzio Simmons was sentenced to 30 years in prison for second-degree murder in the case, which happened in the middle of the afternoon in an alley behind the Harford County Health Department after, according to Simmons, Mr. Walker cut him off in traffic.

Mr. Walker graduated in 2001 from C. Milton Wright High School and in 2005 from Towson University, where he majored in sports management and business administration. He was the assistant manager of the GNC store at Harford Mall and had moved in with his girlfriend of two years and her 6-year-old son only a month before his death. (1)
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Simmons had maintained that Walker exited his vehicle and confronted him in the parking lot after Walker cut him off on the road. He claimed Walker fell onto the knife that Simmons carried for protection.

But employees of the health department and one of Simmons’ passengers told police Walker never left the car; Simmons had leaned in the window and apparently stabbed him in the neck, witnesses said. (2)
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Some have claimed that this wasn't actually road rage per se, it was a young punk (Simmons, the stabber) trying to act "hard" in front of his buddies who were also in the car.

So a scenario:

You (a civilian) unintentionally anger another motorist. They follow you, or you are stopped at a light, and they approach your car/motorcycle. A, they have a weapon out. B, they do not. Assuming you can't drive away (which is ALWAYS the best option, even (in my opinion) if it means jumping the curb, blowing a red light, whatever), what is the best way to diffuse this situation?

If they have a firearm out, you're at a huge disadvantage. Pulling your 4oz, 1/2 MOA, 30-round snubnose loaded with Insta-stop .308 will almost certainly lead to an exchange of gunfire. Not exactly ideal, especially if your wife and kids are in the car.

If they have a knife out, you're at a huge disadvantage being in the car, assuming they break your window (not so tough with many 'tactical' folding knives equipped with a glass breaker/impact point on the base.

Some people might say "close your windows and ignore the person." Which might work, but some people will just be enraged even more if you ignore them. Are you going to continue to ignore them as they kick in your door panels, key the length of your car, or slash your tire?

First step might be to lock the doors. Have your wife get her cell out and pre-dial 9-1-1, ready to hit "call" if needed. Crack your window, and firmly apologize. "Hey, buddy, I'm sorry but it was a mistake, I wasn't looking."

Thoughts?



Sources:
(1) http://www.exploreharford.com/news/4737/sculpture-memorialize-stabbing-victim/
(2) http://www.examiner.com/a-758053~Murder_trial_may_be_revisited.html
 
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Some people might say "close your windows and ignore the person." Which might work, but some people will just be enraged even more if you ignore them. Are you going to continue to ignore them as they kick in your door panels, key the length of your car, or slash your tire?
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My first thought is, why is driving away "not possible". I can hardly envision a scenario where, under the threat of lethal force, that would be the case.

My second thought, based on the above quote, is how long are the lights in your town? This dude is not going to have 5 minutes to trash your car. 90% of lights would have changed by the time he gets stopped, gets out and gets to your car, especially considering that you probably didn't get there the instant it turned red. By the time all this goes down, what the most time that you'd have to sit there? 30 seconds? Yeah, I know, the guy could do some damage in 30 seconds but if all he's doing is keying my car and kicking fenders then he can have at it, while the police are on their way.


Regardless, if someone approaches me with a weapon I WILL be calling the police and I will be getting the incident on video if possible.

If it is PHYSICALLY possible I WILL escape the scene. I don't care if it means pushing his car out of the way with mine, or ramming it, or backing into the uninvolved motorist behind me to get enough room to get out. I WILL be leaving.

If I believe that he has a weapon and he means to use it, I will find a way.

If I can't get out, my gun is out before he gets to my car. If my wife and kids are with me and he's got a gun then I would try to get away from my car.
 
First step... don't drive like an idiot and you will avoid the vast majority of these altercations. If you cut someone off, give them a "I'm sorry" wave. This diffuses most situations.

Second step... Always check your six. If you accidentally cut someone off, you will know very quickly if they are the road rage type. They will either ride your bumper and or high beam you. Either pull over to le them pass or if they insist on following you, pull into a an area will lots of people around. My car is pretty quick so I can lose most people if I wanted to. I will not allow it to turn into a high speed chase that endangers others however. You should probably be dialing 911 at this time and hopefully you have some sort of hands free device so you can concentrate on driving. It also helps if the driver does approach you and things go bad since all 911 calls are recorded.

Third step... If there is no where to go and the other driver approaches my car, I will have my gun in hand before they reach me. I will have it in plain sight to them, but not pointing at them. If they have a gun in their hand, I will shoot. If I still have 911 on the line, I will relay exactly what is going on. I can't second guess whether they are bluffing or not, and if they see my weapon, they will most likely shoot. The person outside the car has a huge advantage since you are most likely strapped in and have no where to move. If the person appraoches with a knife, I will point the gun at him and tell him the back off. I will also let him know I have the police on the line. If they break my window or any window where someone is sitting with a knife, I will consider that an lethal threat and shoot.

Fourth step... If they back down but do damage to my car, I stay in the car and wait for the cops. While I love my car, I have insurance and I'm not going to shoot someone over property damage. When they decide they are finished, I will get their license plate and vehicle description, as well as a description of the driver/road rager.
 
Peet, makes sense. I never lived there, but I am familiar with Bel Air, MD. I think the lights around where the incident occurred run about 2:30-3:00 during rush hour. I think you're spot on that if he does have a weapon out, and you absolutely can't drive away, getting out and away from the car (possibly using the car to maintain space while trying to descalate the confrontation) is the best approach.

A few scenarios where you couldn't drive away might be:
1) Gridlock traffic on the highway where you are more than one lane change from the shoulder.
2) Downtown in a major city (just yesterday it took me 45 minutes to drive from Broadway & Spring St in Soho (Manhattan) to the Holland Tunnel, literally 1/2 mile).
3) In a tunnel or on a bridge.
4) In the event you did get into a collision with the other motorist, and your vehicle is damaged or the fuel/battery shutoff tripped.
 
If he has a gun or weapon and he is coming up to your car the obvious answer is to speed away. If you cant go forward then reverse over the punk. A car is a weapon too...


This is why whenever you stop you leave 2 car lengths ahead of you, if you ever need to drive out, you can. It also keeps you from rear ending people (Yes I am talking to you people who stop 2" from my bumper at lights >: | )

A lot of these cars with on star have a police button right on the rear view as well...
 
Lavid: Leave 2 car lengths ahead of you doesn't work in NYC, three cars will pull in ahead of you immediately. Driving away, impossible when there's nothing but gridlocked steel for the next 20 blocks, or like I said, you're in a tunnel or some other dense location.

Please keep this thread tight to the original scenerio... you UNINTENTIONALLY angered another motorist. Yes we can all try to not be idiots and avoid it, but poop happens and some people out there have very short tempers.

You CAN'T drive away, for whatever reason (traffic, disabled vehicle, drawbridge is up, accident ahead, etc.) Yes driving away is best, but that's a non-discussion, no need to repeat it.

The potential aggressor is coming up to your car window, they aren't standing behind or in front of your vehicle. You can't drive over them, and you're not going to drive over them. If you did you'd go to jail. C'mon what is this, Grand Theft Auto? Notice I started the thread with a real-life situation.
 
Attempt to diffuse the situation.. Apologize, if you cant do anything with your car, no driving away, running him over, reversing into his car, etc... get out of your car. What advantage do you have sitting in your car? If he has a knife and you have nothing run. In order to be blocked in there will obviously be people around you...scream for help do what you gotta do. If he has a gun listen to what he wants, I would be willing to say the majority of people would not shoot you if you give them what they want.
 
booker_t said:
The potential aggressor is coming up to your car window, they aren't standing behind or in front of your vehicle. You can't drive over them, and you're not going to drive over them. If you did you'd go to jail. C'mon what is this, Grand Theft Auto? Notice I started the thread with a real-life situation.
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Actually, if you'd be justified in shooting him then you'd be just as justified in running him over. The law makes no particular distinction in "deadly physical force". It is or it isn't.

If your life is in immediate jeopardy then you would be entirely justified in running the guy over.

Anyway, to answer the OP directly, given the limitations, I don't think you have a lot of choice. You are cornered. You can take the chance that he's bluffing and if you lose then you die like a cornered rat, or you can meet force with force. No matter how bad the odds of survival if you draw on the guy you really have no options. Die without defending yourself or take the chance of surviving.
 
If it's just me in the car. I'm cornered where I can't move back, forward or sideways (can't imagine that, but that's the scenario we must play by). And, someone is approaching me with a knife, club, gun, etc. The first thing I will do is get my gun out (not flash it) and give a verbal warning to get back and let me leave. If that fails, I position myself in the car so that no one has a clear shot to me. Then, I wait until the guy gets right up to my car - trying to break the glass or get in (I want fingerprints or other evidence on my car).
Then, without other warning, at the appropriate time and with as much speed as I can muster, I fire one to two shots off at close to point-blank range.

Some will say that the first thing I should do is get my phone and call 911. Well, I'm not a good multitasker, my phone isn't always charged, my phone doesn't always have service and I have to look at the thing to dial and then say something when the dispatcher gets on. How much darn time is that going to take me? No, I need the gun first and then if I feel things have reached a point where the attack is more at a standstill, I may try to call 911.
 
I do remember reading about a few incidents that took place, where people have exited their vehicle with a "weapon" and approached another vehicle. The other vehicle occupant was either in traffic, stop light, or at finial destination. Just so happens that vehicle occupant was carrying a pistol and drew. Some stopped approaching and the others that still approached and were shot. I don't remember the legal outcome of all, just one and that guy was cleared of shooting his assailant.
 
That's not even in America.

In my opinion, the driver was entirely justified. It wasn't "revenge", it was "escape". He had already been beaten and now the assailant has returned and jumped on his car. The answer is leave, NOW. The condition or consequences to the assailant are irrelevant.
 
Happend to me

Some years ago before cell phones and pepper spray. I pulled into a strip mall a person unknown to me comes fast accross the parking lot in a vett horn blasting left my car in drive the clown jumps out of his car and starts to rant about being cut off, I did have a CS tear gas spray (the predisessor of pepper) I left my window down noted the wind direction stayed in the car ready to scoot, the clown yelled and called names for awile got back to his car and drove away. I got out of the car did a tactial roll and went into the store:)
 
We had a situation similar to this in Alabama several years ago. Two ladys in a heatdd exchange. Both stop at an exit, the aggressor approaches the other. The other, fearing for her safety or life, shoots and kills the agressor. The other is convicted of murder, even after evidence is presented at trial that the agressor is a known violent heathen person.

Go figure. Apparently the jury figured the other had the ability to avoid and drive away, or soemthing similar. Think before you act.
 
isn't this one of those "millions of situations" where the mere presence of a firearm should end the incident?

i'm sure that there could be some legal ramifications to doing so, but LIVING people get to deal with legal issues, not DEAD ones. i am not going to take your approaching my vehicle lightly, nor will i let you mount a major offensive on me before i take action (running you over, showing you the business end of the tool, etc)
 
The Alabama Story

The woman who was shot had previously had an affair with the shooters husband (they knew each other). The shooter rolled down her window before she fired, and the jury didnt "buy" the "in fear of my life" defense.

So, FYI, NEVER lower window!
 
Once you roll down your window, start yelling and arguing with the attacker, then it becomes a real quesion of whether you were defending yourself or settleing an argument with deadly force.

I've learned that it does no good whatsoever to yell, shoot birds, etc. to a-holes on the road......although I will still tailgate someone who cuts me off:rolleyes:. Several reasons not to use finger gestures and yell at other drivers:

1. You may be yelling at someone you know or do business with.
2. At the very least, there is a good possiblity that if you make a habbit of this, someone you know will observe you being an idiot.
3. If the incident does escalate - you don't want to be accused of being the idiot starting the fight - remember, people see what they see, not what happened before their observations.
4. If you are spouting off to a violent individual, you are telegraphing way too much information to your (potential) adversary.

I've learned to keep my mouth shut, look like I'm completely ignoring the aggressor, keep moving, memorize license tags, memorize vehicle make model and color, memorize driver appearance and passangers if possible, and be mentally prepared for anything.
 
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