Alexandria Road Rage Incident: Suspect Previously Sued For Using Racial Slurs

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Witnesses say the victim and her passenger tried to start an argument with the suspect in Wednesday's road rage shooting. But others reveal the suspect has a criminal history, including allegations of racial harassment.

On Wednesday, Maryland State Police had arrested Ernest Stickell, 58, of Mechanicsville, Md. following a shooting police believe was motivated by road rage. A 33-year-old Bladensburg woman was shot in the upper body during the incident at the 4600 block of Eisenhower Avenue. Another person was in the car with the woman but was not injured. Stickell has been charged with malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

A witness told NBC Washington the two cars were honking at each other, and the woman pulled in front of the suspect's van. The woman and man got out of their car and challenged the suspect to get out, according to the witness. That's when gun shots were fired. (Sign up for real time alerts and a newsletter. iPhone users can download the Patch app in the App Store. Plus, like Old Town Alexandria Patch on Facebook.)

"She got out of the vehicle and was screaming. Before she even got out, she was yelling out the window at him as she went by him," the witness told NBC Washington.

This wasn't the first incident in Stickell's criminal history. He has faced several assault charges. In 2001, he was sued for racial harassment, attorney Vickie Fang told NBC Washington. When Stickell was a supervisor at an auto glass company, an African American employee alleged that Stickell had used racial slurs against him, customers and against Stickell's African American wife.

The investigation into the shooting continues. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Ryan Clinch at 703-746-6673. Patch will provide more updates when available.

A number of other road rage incidents have affected the Northern Virginia area recently. In Fairfax County, police said road rage was behind the death of Nabra Hassanen, who was killed in June after leaving a mosque. And just a day before the Alexandria shooting, a man was stabbed in Fredericksburg during a road rage argument.

Image via Frederick County, Maryland Sheriff's Office