Medora man accused of pointing gun at driver during road-rage confrontation near Otis Park

BEDFORD — A 26-year-old Medora man is facing preliminary felony charges after police say he pointed a handgun at another driver during a road-rage confrontation near Otis Park last week.

Jason Cain Patrick, of the 3700 block of South State Road 235, was arrested Oct. 2 on preliminary charges of intimidation with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony; pointing a firearm and criminal recklessness with a firearm, both Level 6 felonies; and disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office.

The driver called 911 to report that the driver of a white Ford Ranger had pointed a gun at him near the stoplight at U.S. 50 East and Tunnelton Road. He described the man as thin, with tattoos on both arms, shoulder-length hair and a goatee.

Sgt. R. Compton spotted a white Ford Ranger matching the description at the Marathon gas station on 16th Street in Bedford and conducted a felony traffic stop on C Street, just south of 16th Street. Patrick and a passenger were ordered out of the truck at gunpoint and detained without incident, police said.

According to the affidavit, the other driver told police he was heading home from work on U.S. 50 when the Ranger began tailgating him, then passed him across a double-yellow line, forcing him to brake and pull onto the shoulder. At the Tunnelton Road intersection, he confronted the driver, who challenged him to pull over. Both vehicles stopped on Tunnelton Road near Otis Park.

The man told police Patrick got out holding a large silver handgun with a black grip, pointed it directly at him and challenged him to fight. Patrick then threw the gun onto the road, raised his fists and again dared him to get out, the driver said. He stayed in his vehicle. He told police Patrick then picked the gun back up and pointed it toward people near the park before driving away.

Two bystanders gave statements to police. A man driving behind the victim said Patrick got out of the truck with a pistol in his left hand and gestured with it the way someone would point a finger while talking, aiming it toward the driver's face. He said he heard the driver say he would not talk while Patrick held a gun. A woman who witnessed the confrontation said she did not see the gun aimed directly at the driver, but saw Patrick waving it carelessly, at times in the direction of both herself and the driver's truck.

The passenger in Patrick's truck told police the two were driving from the Medora area to Bedford to pick up a washing machine. He said Patrick had been following the other vehicle closely and that he told Patrick it was "stupid" to retrieve the gun, adding there was no sign the other driver was armed. He initially denied that Patrick pointed the weapon but later acknowledged it had been pointed toward the other driver's vehicle, police said.

Patrick told investigators the other driver had followed him closely, yelled at him, called him names and threatened to fight him. He admitted routinely carrying a gun and getting out of the truck with it, but said he was trying to tuck it into his waistband and kept the muzzle pointed at the ground. He denied pointing it at anyone, even after investigators told him his account conflicted with other statements. He told police he had one or two beers after work, roughly three hours before the interview.

Police found the gun between the seats of the truck, where Patrick told them it would be. It was loaded, with a round in the chamber, according to the affidavit.

The charges listed in a probable cause affidavit are preliminary. Formal charges are determined by the Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office. Patrick is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.