INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 21-year-old man was jailed last week after deputies said he pointed a black 9 mm pistol at another motorist during a road rage incident.
Charles George Hooker
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Charles George Hooker, of the 400 block of 12th Street, Vero Beach, was charged with aggravated assault. Hooker was released Saturday from the Indian River County Jail on $5,000 bond.
Indian River County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a reckless driver about 7:40 p.m. Friday in the 400 block of U.S. 1. An unrelated person called 911 and told dispatchers two drivers were cutting each other off – along with other vehicles on the roadway – while traveling at a high speed.
The driver of a black sedan also called dispatchers and told them a white pickup truck driver pointed a firearm at him, reports show. A patrol deputy conducted a traffic stop on the pickup and spoke to the driver, identified as Hooker.
Hooker said the driver of the sedan “was acting as if he was pulling something out of the center console of his vehicle,” reports show. But, Hooker also said he did not see the driver pull out any objects or weapons, deputies said.
Hooker told deputies he has a concealed weapons permit and that his gun was in the center console of the truck. The sedan driver said Hooker pointed the gun at him while driving directly next to his vehicle before Hooker tried to drive off at a high rate of speed, reports show.
The sedan driver described the gun as black and similar to a Glock semi-automatic pistol.
Deputies found the firearm in Hooker’s truck and arrested him. Hooker has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. Oct. 6, court records show.