Suspect arrested after Thursday night shooting in Boone County
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri troopers arrested a man near Rocheport Thursday night after a suspected shooting ended with one person taken to the hospital.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F spokesman Sgt. Scott White said 36-year-old Luke Hendren was arrested on suspicion of assault and unlawful use of a weapon.
White said Hendren was involved in a traffic crash with another vehicle while driving on Stadium Boulevard in Columbia late Thursday night.
Hendren allegedly followed the driver onto Interstate 70. White said the other driver called her spouse, all three later came to a stop at the intersection of US 40 and Highway J.
According to the probable cause statement White said Hendren pointed the gun at the spouse and told him to move his vehicle so he could leave the scene. The spouse was later taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
According to the statement when Hendren left the scene he went west and was arrested at the commuter lot at U.S. Highway 40 and Missouri 240 by MSHP and Boone County Deputies.
Boone County Jail records show Hendren is being held without bond, as of Friday morning.
This hasn’t been the first road rage incident Mid-Missouri has seen this year.
Just last week Camden county deputies arrested a man after the victim said another driver tried to run them off the road and then rammed them into a tree.
In September a driver allegedly flashed a gun after following the victim around Columbia.
ABC 17 asked MSHP what to do if someone is in a road rage situation.
Sgt. White said the most important thing to do is remain calm.
White also said that many times after a road rage incident people regret their decision and wish they wish they would've handled it better.
"It's kind of human nature to think that your car is kind of your own territory and when somebody threatens that territory by cutting in or following too close we kind of respond by a defensive maneuver whether that's following somebody tailgating, honking the horn or flashing lights," said White.
MSHP said if you think you are in a road incident it's important to call 911 or *55 and try to get to a lit area or go the other direction.
Sgt. White said the best way to avoid getting pulled into one of these situations is to remain calm and try to avoid it.
"That's the biggest thing," said White. "So don't assume because something was done it was done intentionally."
White said the patrol has seen minor traffic incidents that escalated into very serious road rage that was unnecessary.
"Don't get pulled into one of these situations by coming to a stop and then verbally engaging or physically fighting or like we saw last night escalating into a shot being fired," said White.
White said that being a safe driver can help you prevent one of these situations too. Things like speeding, tailgating and not yielding often cause road rage.
