Wild cellphone video shows the moments a Florida driver attacked another driver with a knife during a road rage incident and the victim turned the tables by pulling out a gun.
Rafael Rivera, 50, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Without Intent to Kill, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. He is currently being held on no bond.
The incident occurred in Palm Coast at Pine Lakes Parkway and Whirlaway Drive on Tuesday afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies say Rivera was driving a Silver Toyota Tacoma when the victim, who was riding a motorcycle, says he cut in front of him. When both men came to a stop, deputies say Rivera walked toward the victim with a knife in his hand.
“Get on your bike and go!” Rivera is allegedly heard yelling in the video.
“Concerned there was about to be a physical altercation, the victim grabbed his metallic knuckles,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
After exchanging words, Rivera stepped aggressively toward the victim and began slashing his knife at him, the sheriff’s office said.
The victim, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, pulled out his firearm, deputies said. Rivera is seen backing off after the gun was pulled but still yells at the victim to get on his bike and ride away.
The victim’s wife recorded the incident on her cellphone.
Both men were detained while the incident was being investigated. Following interviews and watching the video, Rivera was arrested.
“Traffic disagreements should never result in violence in our streets. In this particular incident, the video captured by the victim’s wife clearly shows that her husband’s life was threatened. I applaud the way the motorcyclist handled this situation,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “After his life was clearly threatened, he lawfully defended himself and then de-escalated the situation. The offender is lucky he was not shot.”
