PARRISH, Fla — A shooting stemming from a road rage incident Saturday afternoon is a justifiable act of self-defense, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said.
Sheriff Rick Wells says the shooter has not been arrested because he was standing his ground. In an update Sunday morning, the office said the shooter was a victim of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Deputies say the shooter, whose identity is not being released, saw a man driving erratically around 5:20 p.m. on Buckeye Road near U.S. 301. He attempted to get the license plate number.
The erratic driver pulled over, and the shooter pulled up next to him, law enforcement said. That's when the erratic driver got out of his vehicle and started an argument, leaning into the shooter's window.
The shooter then pulled out a gun and told the erratic driver to get away from his vehicle, Wells said. The erratic driver then pulled out his own gun and aimed it at the shooter.
Wells said that's when the man shot and killed the erratic driver.
"At that point, he became in fear of his life and wasn’t really expecting the other driver to be aggressive the way that he’s describing to us," Wells said. "And unfortunately, we have two guns involved and one person dead."
Wells says the shooter called 911 right away and is cooperating with detectives as the investigation continues.
What other people are reading right now:
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.