Man arrested after alleged road rage incident involving handgun in Palm Desert

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) - A 27-year-old was arrested after allegedly holding a handgun during a road rage incident Tuesday morning in Palm Desert, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office announced.

The incident was reported at 10:50 a.m. on Cook Street and Gerald Ford Drive.

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Deputies were told that the suspect approached the victim yelling and holding a handgun. The suspect left the area in his vehicle headed northbound on Cook Street toward Interstate 10.

The victim obtained the suspect’s license plate number and description of the vehicle, which was provided to Riverside Sheriff Dispatch and entered into the Flock Safety System.

Deputies from the Palm Desert Robbery Burglary Suppression Team received a Flock alert indicating the vehicle’s license plate was captured in the area of Indio Boulevard and Madison Street in Indio.

Deputies located the vehicle and attempted to conduct a vehicle stop, but the suspect failed to yield, and a pursuit was initiated. With the assistance of the Riverside Sheriff’s K9 Unit, a Pursuit Intervention Technique was used to disable the vehicle, bringing the pursuit to an end in the area of Varner Road and Jefferson Street in Indio.

The suspect, a Thousand Palms resident, was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio and faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a firearm, reckless evading of a peace officer, and violation of post-release community supervision. Jail records show he is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

No injuries were reported during the incident.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Deputy Himes at 760–836–1600.