A Port St. Lucie man is accused of pointing a loaded handgun at a full-term pregnant motorist during a road rage incident, according to a police news release.
Robert Kniceley, 78, was arrested June 9 and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Port St. Lucie police news release sent June 10.
Officers responded to a report of an aggravated assault involving a firearm about 2:40 p.m. June 9 after a woman encountered an aggressive driver in a yellow Chevrolet pickup truck while traveling eastbound on St. Lucie West Boulevard after exiting Interstate 95, according to the release.
The woman said the truck driver began honking his horn and driving aggressively before pulling alongside her vehicle at the intersection of Southwest Peacock Boulevard and Southwest St. Lucie West Boulevard, according to the release.
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When she lowered her window to understand why the truck driver was so upset, according to the release, she said he pulled out a handgun and pointed it in her direction.
The woman, who was in the late stages of pregnancy, immediately became fearful of her safety, according to the release. She later provided detectives with video footage that showed the truck leaving the area.
Using the truck’s license plate information, officers identified the registered owner as Kniceley and went to his home, according to the release. He cooperated with officers after he was confronted with being the driver of the truck involved in the incident.
Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .22-caliber handgun at Kniceley’s home, according to the release, and detectives determined the firearm had a round chambered and was capable of being fired immediately.
Kniceley was taken to the St. Lucie County Jail, where he remained June 10 with a $5,000 bail, according to the jail’s website.
Laurie K. Blandford is a breaking news reporter with TCPalm. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Port St. Lucie man arrested after pointing gun at pregnant driver