Whether Cop Or Civillian, Road Rage Brandishing Never Ends Well

There's been quite a slew of road-rage brandishing incidents in southeastern Michigan recently.

The latest reported one is involving one of Detroit's (possibly not so-) Finest, courtesy of the Detroit News:

Charges sought in road rage case for Detroit officer

According to police, a Beverly Hills couple allege the officer's vehicle cut them off about 7 p.m. Friday on Woodward Avenue near Maple Road in Birmingham.

As the cars continued south on Woodward, Kiernan said, the incident escalated into a "road rage" incident with erratic driving by the officer, the couple allege.

The officer pulled next to the couple, lowered his window and laid his gun, a Glock 40 caliber, across his chest, Kiernan said.

The couple then called 911, he said.

"He rolls the window down, has a gun in his hand, laying across his chest. Whether it was pointed at them or not, I don't know. It will make a big difference," he said. [Note: Indeed it will, for that's the difference between felonious assault and misdemeanor brandishing]

Once the cars crossed 14 Mile, they entered Royal Oak, where police were contacted and the officer was pulled over.

A friend of mine witnessed the felony stop in this incident and we only saw the article about it later. Multiple officers with guns drawn converged on the vehicle during the stop.

Please Understand and Do NOT draw you firearm just because someone cuts you off in traffic, or even worse if you cut someone else off. Do NOT draw just because someone honks at you or extends to you the international hand sign for peace, goodwill, and inter-driver understanding.

It is highly rarely, if ever, justifiable at that point. Expect everyone working on your case to consider it not justifiable without one heckuva convincing and demonstrable reason why it was justifiable. Someone being an idiot while driving and cutting you off is simply not a sufficient reason to display a firearm in a threatening manner.

If you cannot honestly and reasonably explain how you're about to imminently face death, grievous bodily harm, or forcible sexual penetration, leave the gun in the holster or otherwise out of sight.

Further, if you pull your firearm in public, assuming you had good and justifiable reason to do so, call the police immediately and report on the attacker. Otherwise, the chance of your being on the receiving end of a felony stop whether from your attacker calling the police and claiming to be the victim, or from an eye-witness who misunderstood the situation is quite likely.

Being on the receiving end of a felony stop because you stupidly didn't report displaying your firearm to defend yourself can lead to a situation with fatal consequences should a misunderstanding occur during the stop.