‘The system let us down’: Men in road rage case criticize reduced charges against Cole County suspect

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A trip from Los Angeles to Mid-Missouri in the fall turned into a day that would leave William Tannehill and Andres Rios with nightmares months later, the two say.

Tannehill was born and raised in Missouri, but lived in Jefferson City before moving across the country to Los Angeles. In September, he took a vacation to Mid-Missouri to show Rios where he had lived.

Around 3 p.m. on Sept. 22, they headed down Highway 54 toward an Airbnb at the Lake of the Ozarks, a trip Tannehill said he had made plenty of times. But this time was different.

"We felt like we were being hunted because he mimicked every move I made," Tannehill said. "Speed up, slow down, left lane, right lane. I felt like I was being hunted, and I felt like he was going to possibly shoot us or run us off the road."

Tannehill said he was driving in a construction zone, where the right lane was blocked off to traffic. He was trying to get around when a white pickup truck cut him off. He claims he stayed behind the truck before trying again to pass the same truck, which cut him off for a second time. The truck then tailgated him, and at some point, Tannehill said a man pulled out a gun and pointed it at them.

In a panic, the pair called 911, and a trooper from the highway patrol later came and pulled the truck over, Tannehill said.

The entire incident lasted roughly 10-15 minutes and extended over multiple miles, but it felt much longer for the pair who feared they'd be run off the road or shot.

"It felt like we were stuck in a box where no matter what we would do, it felt unsafe," Rios said. "We were trying to follow the instructions from the cops, but it just felt very scary ... I did have to call my mom, and I was very fortunate enough to speak to her and have her calm me down in that situation, but it was terrifying. I felt like my life really depended on it at that time."

Harry Adrian -- the state safety coordinator of the Missouri Department of Transportation-- was charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon. Prosecutors later reduced that charge to misdemeanor reckless driving.

Adrian's next court date is set for Jan 6.

Adrian has maintained his innocence throughout the course of the case. According to court documents, he admitted to law enforcement that he was involved in a road rage incident, but claimed he held a cellphone instead of a gun. Deputies found a handgun in Adrian’s Ford F-250, court documents say.

Tannehill and Rios said they felt blindsided when they heard that the charge had been lowered, claiming the justice system let them down. Tannehill said he made multiple requests to the prosecutor's office for body and dash camera footage from the day of the incident, to make victim impact statements, as well as for clarification on charges.

Those requests went largely unanswered, Tannehill said.

On Dec. 16, Tannehill said he sent an email to prosecutors. He said he was emailed back by the assistant prosecutor, stating that the prosecutor's office intended to offer a plea deal for careless and imprudent driving.

The charges were changed last week.

"The prosecutor just has not been working with us; we feel like we've been stonewalled," Tannehill said. "This plea offer literally turned a felony into a traffic ticket ... knowing that this is the outcome, it's devastating. It really makes me wonder if it has something to do with the fact that the defendant is in his position as a MoDOT safety coordinator."

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson didn't comment on why the charge was lowered.

"All I can say is that when we receive evidence that we determine makes the case untenable, we are ethically bound to amend or dismiss the charges, depending on the circumstances. I cannot speak specifically about a case until it has been fully adjudicated," Thompson wrote in an email to ABC 17 News.

Tannehill also said he questions how quickly charges were reduced, saying he felt like that movement happened almost immediately after he asked the court to be more involved in the process. The two also feel as though the incident sheds light on the Cole County's Prosecutor's Office, claiming throughout the case that it's seemed as though Adrian was treated better than the two.

After months of what he called unsuccessful attempts, Tannehill said his fight isn't over just yet. He claims he's already filed a complaint with the attorney general's office, the office for victims of crime and plans to file a complaint with the Cole county chief counsel.

Adrian's attorney, Ben Faber told ABC 17 News via email that the two were happy with the court's decision.

"We are relieved that after a careful review of the evidence, the State has chosen not to proceed on the weapons offense that Mr. Adrian was originally charged with.  Of course, Mr. Adrian has maintained his innocence since the very beginning of this overwhelming and life-altering chain of events," Faber wrote.  "We see far too often upstanding citizens such as Mr. Adrian at the mercy of the government for things they didn't do based on nothing more than the statement of a witness or witnesses.  In this case, we are grateful that the system is working and Mr. Adrian looks forward to putting this mess behind him. "

Months later, the two say what occurred that day still sticks with them, making something most people do on a daily basis--like driving down a highway-- a challenge.

"You don't even think about it until you see like a truck the same size that he (Harry Adrian) was driving behind you and you just start overthinking about what you're going to do, Rios said. "I've never had a gun pulled out on me and I think I'm going to be almost reliving that again and again for quite some time until I get over that because it's quite traumatizing to me."

For Tannehill, getting justice is something he believes can't be reached anymore.

"When a violent road rage incident with a gun turns into a traffic ticket, there's no way justice could be served," Tannehill said. "I feel like the victims are being robbed and the defendant is getting a sweet, hard deal based on his job title. I feel that it's unethical the way that the prosecutors office handled the entire situation where we have zero input when we're the ones who were the most impacted."