Police: Township Man Fires Gun In Road Rage Incident, Arrested For Attempted Murder

A 39-year-old township man has been charged with attempted murder after police said he fired a gun at another driver in a road rage incident on Easton Avenue.

At about 4:50 p.m. May 5, a township resident was driving on Easton, near the Route 287 intersection, when the defendant tried to merge into the other driver’s lane, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

The victim told police that there was not enough room for the defendant’s car to merge, which caused the defendant to become “irate” and slap the passenger side mirror on the victim’s car.

The victim told police that they stopped their car to check the damage, at which time the defendant pulled his car alongside theirs, brandished a firearm and fired two rounds in the victim’s direction, missing the victim but hitting their car.

The defendant then sped away, according to the release.

The victim reported the incident to police at Franklin Township Police Department headquarters, according to the release.

An investigation conducted by detectives from the Franklin Township Police Department along with detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Franklin Resident Field Office led officers to the defendant, according to the release.

The defendant was charged with 1^st Degree Attempted Murder and 2^nd Degree Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose, according to the release.

The defendant turned himself in at police headquarters on May 19, according to the release.

The defendant was listed on May 23 as being lodged in the Somerset County Jail, Somerville.

Prosecutor’s spokesman Frank Roman said that additional charges may be brought against the defendant before the case goes before a Grand Jury.

Editor’s Note: The Franklin Reporter & Advocate does not, in most cases, identify defendants until their cases have been adjudicated.

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