Charges filed in road-rage gun incident

[Knimrod]

Charges filed in road-rage gun incident
Thursday, February 02, 2006
By Ken Kolker
The Grand Rapids Press

ALLEGAN COUNTY -- A Leighton Township Fire Department lieutenant who teaches concealed weapons classes is facing felony weapons charges after allegedly pulling a weapon in a road-rage incident, state police said.

Lt. Terry Thompson, 58, is charged in Allegan County District Court with assault with a dangerous weapon, using a firearm in a felony and brandishing a gun in public.

The alleged victim told state troopers Thompson stuck a gun in his midsection after the road-rage incident near Round Lake in Leighton Township on Dec. 31.

Thompson denied touching the victim with the weapon and told police he pulled his pistol to protect himself.

The victim said he was driving south on Kalamazoo Avenue, north of Round Lake, when he turned left in front of a pickup. He told police he waved at the pickup driver after realizing he had cut him off.

The man said the pickup driver, later identified as Thompson, followed him.

The man said he pulled into the public access when Thompson cut him off and started yelling at him.

The argument escalated, leading Thompson to pull the gun, police said.

Link to story (http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1138897375276660.xml?grpress?NEOU&coll=6)

[joen]

Lot of holes in the story leading up to the deed, but the bottom line is none warrant producing a firearm, even for a FD Officer.

[Knimrod]

Firefighter charged in road-rage incident
Friday, February 03, 2006
By Theresa D. Mcclellan
The Grand Rapids Press

ALLEGAN COUNTY -- Dirk Wingard said he cannot understand why a fire department's safety officer would pull a gun on him during a traffic dispute.

"I'm an ex-Marine. I was in the first round of the Gulf War and ... I owned a weapon once myself. The first thing we're taught is that you don't point a weapon at anything unless you're gonna kill it. In the position he's in, I'm stunned he'd do it," said Wingard, of Caledonia.

No shots were fired and no one was injured in what state police are calling a New Year's Eve "road rage incident" that involved Leighton Township Fire Lt. Terry Thompson.

Thompson, 58, also of Caledonia, is facing felony weapons charges after he allegedly pulled gun on Wingard.

He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, using a firearm to commit a felony and brandishing a firearm in public.

He posted a $5,000 personal recognizance bond in Allegan County District Court, according to court records.

Thompson and his Kalamazoo attorney declined to comment.

Thompson's boss, township Supervisor Spencer Moore, arrived at the scene shortly after the incident.

When contacted by The Press, he took issue with police characterizing the incident as "road rage," then declined to comment when asked to elaborate.

Moore wrote he did not believe the trooper investigating the incident allowed Thompson "to show and fully explain his actions."

He concluded saying, "I believe Terry."

At the time of the incident, authorities received calls from Wingard and Thompson.

"We got a call from both of them at the Green Lake boat launch. It was a road rage where the suspect said he was cut off by the victim. The victim apologized and it escalated. Thompson pulled out a pistol," Michigan State Police Trooper Scott Ernstes said.

Wingard said he was driving south on Kalamazoo Avenue when he turned in front of Thompson's northbound vehicle, and onto Green Lake Road.

"I believe he was going faster than the posted 25 mph. When I was midway through my turn, I got on the gas," Wingard said.

He said Thompson followed him for a mile and rode his bumper.

"Instead of going to my house, I went to the boat launch area. He pulled in front of me and I had to slam on my brakes," Wingard said, adding he apologized to Thompson.

"He didn't want to hear anything. He yelled and screamed and said he'd call the police."

Wingard said he noticed Thompson's vehicle had emergency lights atop it, walked around it to see which department the man was with and saw Thompson "fiddle with his coat."

"I saw something silver and he touched my belly button. I put my hands in the air. I thought it was a stun gun. I grabbed my cell phone," Wingard said.

Thompson's preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 14.

Linl to story (http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1138981806228720.xml?grpress?NEOU&coll=6&thispage=2)