Road Rage: Driver Charged After Firing Gun In East Austin

EAST AUSTIN, TX — A man who fired his gun into the air during a road rage incident in East Austin over the weekend has been jailed.

Police responded to a call just before 6 p.m. on Saturday related to the incident east of Texas 130 and Webberville Road, according to an arrest affidavit referenced by the Austin American Statesman. Michael Markham, 24, acknowledged firing the weapon, according to the report, and his girlfriend corroborated the admission by telling police he used it to intimidate another motorist near Gilbert Road and Barteny Cove.

According to the police account, the incident began when Markham was driving along Gilbert Road in front of the victim when he abruptly stopped his vehicle, prompting the other motorist to slam on his brakes and honk the car horn, according to the Statesman report. The victim told police Markham then followed him before parking in front of his car before threatening the victim while alerting him of his gun ownership.

The victim stopped Markham from exiting his vehicle, armed with a tire iron as protection, according to the news report. Markham then grabbed his gun, pointed it at the other driver and fired a shot into the air, according to the affidavit.

The move landed Markham behind bars at the Travis County Jail with a second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. His bail was set at $35,000, according to jail records.

The incident is the fourth in recent months during which a motorist produced a firearm in a road rage incident. Other similar recent incidents include:

• Oct. 25: Noah Duecker, 23, is charged with pointing a loaded firearm at another driver after he's said to have tailgated the motorist along a stretch of Interstate 35. when police caught up with the suspect, they found a loaded, 12-gauge shotgun with modified stock inside his vehicle. The stock had been altered to allow holding the shotgun as one would a pistol, according to police.
• On Oct. 14, a China Spring, Texas, man was arrested after being accused of pointing a gun at passengers in another car — among them a 12-year-old girl. Police said Ricky Robinson, 54, brandished a gun outside his pickup truck window while traveling along the 4000 block of Interstate 35 in Round Rock. Police found a .45 automatic Colt pistol wrapped in a towel inside his vehicle. Robinson was booked into Williamson County Jail with a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before bonding out on a $25,000 bail.
• On Sept. 22, Christoper Orvis, 39, was arrested after being accused of pointing a gun at another driver while traveling on Interstate 35. When police tracked him down, they reportedly found the following in his vehicle: One loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol; a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol; a .22 caliber rifle; a little ecstasy. Orvis was booked into Williamson County Jail before bonding out on a $75,000 bail. He, too, faces a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Related story: Man Charged With Pointing Loaded Gun At Round Rock Driver

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