Road Rage Leads To Shooting, Fight On Merritt In Greenwich: State Police

GREENWICH, CT — A road rage incident led to a shooting and a physical altercation on the Merritt Parkway in Greenwich on Tuesday night, according to the Connecticut State Police.

Three men were charged in connection with the incident.

At approximatley 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, state troopers responded to the Merritt northbound in the area of Exit 28 on a report of an active assault, police said.

A 43-year-old Shelton man had called police to report that he was being assaulted by a group of motorcyclists and that a gun was being displayed during the altercation, police said.

Upon arrival, police said they detained the man who called 911, and a 30-year-old New Haven Man, later identified as Tavon Douglas.

A preliminary investigation showed that the man who originally called police was brake-checking several motorcyclists and not allowing them to pass on the Merritt, police said.

The incident then escalated and Douglas pulled out a gun and fired a shot into the rear of the man's car, police said.

All parties then pulled over on the right shoulder and a fight broke out, police said.

Two other men fled and continued north on the Merritt, according to police, so a "Be On the Lookout," or BOLO, was issued.

Police located one of the men near Exit 38 and stopped him, police said, noting that he admitted to shoving the Shelton man before mounting Douglas' motorcycle and driving away. He was arrested and charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle; theft of plates/inserts; failure to insure a private motor vehicle; second-degree breach of peace; and third-degree assault — all misdemeanors.

Douglas and the man who called 911 were both taken to the hospital for the treatment of minor injuries, police said.

Upon his release from the hospital, Douglas was arrested and charged with first-degree assault; second-degree assault with a firearm; first-degree reckless endangerment; second-degree breach of peace; second-degree threatening; negligent use of a highway by a pedestrian; illegal discharge of a firearm; and reckless driving, police said.

A gun registered to him was found at the scene, police noted.

Douglas posted a $150,000 bond, and he is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on July 3.

The man who called 911 was charged with reckless driving and second-degree breach of peace, both misdemeanors.

The incident closed the northbound lanes of the Merritt in the area of Exit 28 for several hours on Tuesday night. The roadway reopened around 10:15 p.m.