Only one man charged in Florida road rage incident where two dads shot each other's daughters
CALLAHAN, FLORIDA: Charges against one of two men who shot each other's daughters in a 'cat and mouse' road rage incident were dismissed after prosecutors claimed that he acted in self-defense. Frank Allison, 44, opened fire on William Hale, 36, after the two began veering and brake-checking each other on a Florida roadway last year. He fired at Hale's car after the 36-year-old threw a water bottle into his car during the altercation.
However, officials determined that his first shot was justified under Florida's 'stand your ground' self-defense law and that Hale was to blame for the subsequent escalation. After the bottle was hurled, Allison fired a single shot into Hale's car, striking Hale's 5-year-old daughter in the leg. In retaliation, Hale fired multiple rounds from his Glock semi-automatic handgun into Allison's car, striking his daughter, 14, in the back and inflicting a lung injury.
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Frank Alisson's charges were withdrawn
After the road rage incident, both men were initially charged with attempted murder; however, Frank Allison's charges were later withdrawn earlier this month. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said in a statement at the time of the shooting: "There could have been two dead kids because of two stupid grown men."
Witness claimed Hale was the aggressor
The highway shooting allegedly started when Hale tried to push Allison off the road on Florida's Highway 1 close to Callahan, according to the prosecution. During the altercation, Hale pulled up next to Allison's Nissan Murano in his Dodge Ram pickup truck, rolled down his window, and yelled at the driver while his wife motioned out the window.
According to the charging documents, Hale drove his "vehicle in a reckless, threatening, or intimidating manner, which created a well-founded fear in Frank Allison that violence was imminent." According to the charges, Hale threw "a stone or other hard substance" - really a water bottle - at Allison's automobile, "causing death or great bodily harm," as per First Coast News.
Both guys accused the other of "brake checking" them and drove aggressively and erratically. Additionally, a witness claimed Hale was the aggressor and tried to push his adversary off the road.
'He knew something bad was going to happen'
After hearing conflicting accounts from the two men, the witness — whom the prosecution later referred to as "the only independent witness in the case" — mentioned to police he had witnessed a "cat and mouse" game between the two drivers. Despite not having seen the incident, the man told Fox News that he was impelled to phone 911 before shots were fired because "he knew something bad was going to happen."
Allison fired a single shot at Hale's car in retaliation for the alleged provocation, striking his 5-year-old daughter in the upper calf. Hale retaliated by firing his handgun magazine at Allison's automobile after the incident. Both individuals had concealed carry licenses and had never been arrested before.
The initial charges against the two included attempted murder, but Allison has since had the allegations against him dismissed. In a statement submitted after the charges were dropped, the state's lawyer stated, "William Hale’s aggressive driving pattern and the throwing of a water bottle placed the Allisons in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm and constitute the commission of forcible felonies. William Hale’s actions — both independently and collectively — justify Frank Allison’s use of deadly force against William Hale. As such, the State declines to file charges against Frank Allison and elects to file charges against William Hale."
When is Hale's next court date?
Hale is scheduled to be arraigned in court on April 20, He faces charges of three counts of attempted murder for the shooting, three counts of aggravated assault, and one of 'shooting or throwing deadly missiles' for launching the water bottle.
What is the stand-your-ground law?
A stand-your-ground law, often known as a "line in the sand" or "no duty to retreat" law, states that people may use lethal force to defend themselves against certain violent offenses (right of self-defense). People are not required to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense under such legislation, as long as they are lawfully present. The specifics vary per jurisdiction, as per Wikipedia.