Trucker brings knife to a gunfight in SHOCKING Florida road rage video
PALM COAST, FLORIDA: A Florida man has been charged with assault after he pulled a knife at a motorcyclist during a road rage confrontation, only to have the biker pull out a handgun in response.
50-year-old Rafael Vincent Rivera was driving his Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck on Tuesday, May 17, through Palm Coast, about 80 miles north of Orlando, when he came across a 50-year-old motorcyclist identified only as GP. According to the rider, the truck driver skipped a red light and cut him off while he and his wife, 44, were minding their own business on the road. Rivera was also accused of throwing something from his truck at the couple.
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The motorcyclist proceeded to follow Rivera, who stopped his truck at some point and got out of the vehicle brandishing a knife. Video footage from the encounter captured by the biker's wife saw her husband take out his brass knuckles. Rivera subsequently told the biker that brass knuckles were illegal in Florida without a permit, but GP said he was authorized to carry them.
"I'm telling you, don't f****** do it, don't be f****** stupid," the biker told Rivera as the latter was waving the knife. The rider's wife then threatened to steal the Toyota pick-up truck. Rivera proceeded to lunge at GP anyway before the biker pulled out a Glock pistol. The truck driver then backed away as the two continued to hurl insults at each other. "You just tried to f****** stab, I got it on f****** film," the wife argued. "You just swiped at him, that's assault. That's attempted assault with a deadly weapon." Rivera dialed 911 and told the dispatcher that he "just had a guy pull a gun on me." He said the motorcyclist had been riding "erratically" and flipped him off, but denied approaching GP aggressively and that he "did not recall this occurring," his arrest report states.
It's worth noting that both Rivera and the biker have had past run-ins with the law. Rivera was arrested in 2015 on charges of grand theft and criminal mischief and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors. He was put behind bars once again for reportedly violating his probation. Meanwhile, the biker was arrested in August last year on a domestic battery charge after a Ring cam video saw him grab his alleged victim by the hair and tell her, "I'm going to beat the p*** out of you." However, that charge was eventually dropped, according to Flagler Live.
Deputies from @flaglersheriff say Rafael Rivera slashed at a motorcyclist with a knife, during a road rage confrontation. The motorcyclist pulled out a concealed gun, for which he had a permit. Deputies arrested Rivera. They say if you see reckless driving, call 911. #FOX35 pic.twitter.com/f5wV0kQSyp
— Matt Trezza FOX 35 (@Fox35Matt) May 19, 2022
Rivera was released on Wednesday, May 18, after he paid a $5,000 bond. "Traffic disagreements should never result in violence in our streets," Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said, before praising the biker for displaying composure and restraint. "In this particular incident, the video captured by the victim's wife clearly shows that her husband's life was threatened. I applaud the way the motorcyclist handled this situation. After his life was clearly threatened, he lawfully defended himself and then de-escalated the situation. The offender is lucky he was not shot." Staly added, "I also remind the community to not take traffic enforcement in your own hands and control your anger. Call the Sheriff's Office instead."