PALM BEACH, Fla. – Rafael Vincent Rivera, 50, of Palm Coast, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on Tuesday afternoon after a case of road rage, according to a report from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to the intersection of Pine Lakes Parkway and Whirlaway Drive shortly after 1 p.m. According to the police report, Rivera was driving a pickup truck when a motorcyclist cut in front of him. Deputies said he stopped and got out to confront the motorcyclist with a knife, slashing it at him. The man, who deputies noted has a license to carry, quickly grabbed his firearm to defend himself against Rivera.
Deputies arrived at the scene and detained both men before making an official arrest. After reviewing the video shot by the motorcyclist’s wife, interviewing witnesses and both parties involved, they arrested Rivera and charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
“Traffic disagreements should never result in violence in our streets. 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,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a prepared statement.
Staly reminded the community not to take the law into their own hands, remain in control of their anger and call the sheriff’s office for assistance.