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Driver in America arrested for using vehicle as deadly weapon after trying to run cyclist off road police-224426_1920

Driver in America arrested for using vehicle as deadly weapon after trying to run cyclist off road

He allegedly had a gun in a holster when he made the threats but it was his vehicle that officers classed as the deadly weapon
by Will Bolton
Sat, Apr 17, 2021 16:24
39

A road rage incident in America took a shocking turn after a driver allegedly sped past a cyclist and clipped him with his wing mirror, before following him to his workplace and threatening to murder him.

The rider, Nikolas Johnson, claimed that after hitting him with his vehicle the 'irate' driver began yelling death threats at him. 

The motorist, Joshua Angle, 33, then took things a step further and allegedly began trying to drive his car into the cyclist as if he was 'trying to run him off the road'.

He was eventually arrested on a charge of 'felony menacing with a deadly weapon' - with the police officer reportedly saying the car being driven was the weapon in question. 

According to an arrest affidavit, which is filled out by the arresting officer and states the facts and circumstances surrounding an arrest, the incident, which occurred in Durango, Colorado on April 13, began after Angle shouted at the cyclist to 'get the f*** off the road'.

According to Mr Johnson, as the vehicles moved through the intersection, Angle sped past him, hitting him with his passenger-side mirror in the process.

The collision broke the mirror and Angle reportedly began yelling 'you broke my mirror' and 'I'm going to kill you', The Durango Herald report.

Mr Johnson said he 'vacated the scene quickly in fear for his life' but the motorist pursued him as 'if he was trying to run [Mr Johnson] over with his vehicle'.

Eventually, Mr Johnson was able to reach his workplace, a local cycling shop, where he retreated inside and locked the door behind him. 

According to another employee, Angle approached the door and demanded to know if Mr Johnson was inside.

At this point, both men called the police.

Upon their arrival, Angle confirmed that the collision occurred at the intersection, but blamed the broken car mirror on a punch from the cyclist, not him clipping the rider as he passed.

According to Angle, the cyclist was angry that he had stopped too close behind the rider at the intersection.

 Angle denied making any death threats but appeared to admit saying 'Stop or I'll beat your ass'.

Officer Jake Graves made the decision to arrest Angle on the charge of 'felony menacing with a deadly weapon', which is a class five felony.

While Angle had a sidearm in a holster at the time of the incident, the vehicle is what was considered the 'deadly weapon', as Angle was allegedly threatening Johnson with running him over.

No injuries were found on the cyclist and Angle has since posted bail.

police
America

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39 comments

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hawkinspeter replied to mdavidford | 3 years ago
1 like

mdavidford wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

A rock isn't designed, though

You're telling me those letters get all the way through it by accident?

It was Captain Badger who made that claim, but you do raise an important point. I shall await his response with much anticipation...

Edit: It was me - must need more coffee. And anchovies.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to the infamous grouse | 3 years ago
1 like

the infamous grouse wrote:

alchemilla wrote:

Only in America could the gun be considered as not a weapon, and of no consequence.

i suspect most items are considered benign until intent of use transforms them. a rock isn't a weapon until you use it as one.

Let's have a fight. You have a rock, I'll have a gun. I'll even put a holster over it to make it fair.

Avatar
the infamous grouse replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
2 likes

Captain Badger wrote:

Let's have a fight. You have a rock, I'll have a gun. I'll even put a holster over it to make it fair.

will your gun be loaded with ammunition? is there a limit on the size of rock i can use? can i also use a trebuchet or other mechanical assist to launch it?

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to the infamous grouse | 3 years ago
1 like

the infamous grouse wrote:

will your gun be loaded with ammunition?

Most definitely

the infamous grouse wrote:

is there a limit on the size of rock i can use?

As big as you want

the infamous grouse wrote:

can i also use a trebuchet or other mechanical assist to launch it?

Go for your life!

 

Avatar
Mungecrundle replied to alchemilla | 3 years ago
2 likes

Imagine being so terrified of your fellow citizens that you feel the need to carry deadly weaponary every time you leave the house, and to spend most of your time inside your house so terrified of a home invasion that you feel the need to keep such a weapon in reach at all times.

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the infamous grouse replied to Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
0 likes

Mungecrundle wrote:

Imagine being so terrified of your fellow citizens that you feel the need to carry deadly weaponary every time you leave the house, and to spend most of your time inside your house so terrified of a home invasion that you feel the need to keep such a weapon in reach at all times.

imagine reading this and knowing that it won't motivate those who would be criminals to suddenly beocme law-abiding.

Avatar
qwerty360 replied to the infamous grouse | 3 years ago
0 likes

the infamous grouse wrote:

imagine reading this and knowing that it won't motivate those who would be criminals to suddenly beocme law-abiding.

Instead it motivates them to commit home invasion - Your gun is likely one of the most valuble, easily stealable posessions you have, particularly to a criminal who can't necessarily obtain one legally and wants one that can't be traced to them.

 

They know that unless you are properly trained (almost certainly not) that you are unlikely to actually reach and use said gun, but if you are keeping it for home defence then it probably isn't locked in a gun safe...

 

Flashing a gun in a holster can be illegal as that is still using it as a weapon, but there is no evidence that it happened here, so I don't think it is unreasonable (particularly given US gun laws) to ignore it.

 

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to Mungecrundle | 3 years ago
3 likes

Remeber that to offer any protection in the event of home invasion the gun must be easily accesible at all times, but to prevent theft of gun or accidental shooting involving children it must be secured at all times.

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OnYerBike replied to alchemilla | 3 years ago
2 likes

Whilst in general I think the gun laws in USA are a bit crazy, I think in this particular incident it was appropriate to treat the car as the lethal weapon and ignore the gun. Given that it was (I presume) perfectly legal for the person to carry around the gun, and there was no suggestion that the driver mentioned it or used it in any way (the cyclist might well have been entirely unaware that the driver also had a gun), as far as I can tell the gun is legally irrelevant (with the obvious caveat that I don't know a lot about US laws).

The encouraging thing about this story is the treatment of the car as a lethal weapon - deliberate aggressive driving such as this is all-too-often treated as dangerous or even "careless" driving and, in the UK at least, the resulting sentences seem to be much more lenient than if the assault was carried out with a gun or a knife.

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