MESQUITE, Texas — A fight that stemmed from a road rage incident in Mesquite led to an arrest after a man pulled out a gun and pointed it at the other, police said.
The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 18600 block of Interstate 635. Police said they believe there was some sort of road rage incident and that both vehicles involved stopped in a parking lot.
In a video captured by a witness, one of the men involved knocked the other onto the ground. The person who was knocked down, identified as 51-year-old suspect Stephen Phillips, got up, pulled out a gun and pointed it at the other.
The other man could then be seen trying to disarm Phillips in a struggle, according to the video. The man was successful and the two men appeared to walk away in the same direction.
According to police, Phillips tried pulling the trigger during the fight but the gun's safety was on.
Police said the other man accidentally fired a round while trying to clear the gun.
Phillips was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Neither Phillips nor the other man reported any damage or injuries.
Ricardo Miller, a pastor, captured the incident from an office in the Town East Tower, across from Town East Mall.
Miller told WFAA that when he saw the gun, he kept thinking, "Please don't pull the trigger, don't pull the trigger."
"My thinking is – if he shoots this guy he could kill him and any bystanders," he said.
Miller stressed the importance of safety through a message for gun owners.
"I think it’s important for those who are gun carriers to remind themselves that there is a time where you can honestly say a life is threatened," Miller said. "But there are a lot of times when you can be angry, but that doesn’t mean your life is threatened. There is a big difference. You can be embarrassed, frustrated, you cannot like what is happening to you. But that still doesn’t give you a right to pull out a gun."
Officer Jolyn Lopez of Mesquite Police Department said, unfortunately, road rage incidents are becoming more common across North Texas. Lopez suggests drivers be cautious and aware.
“Don’t try to win the battle. It’s better to disengage from an angry driver and call 911,” Lopez explained.