The Orlando Police Department arrested a man in an Orlando road rage incident involving a gun.
On August 18, 2024, at approximately 4:20pm, officers responded to the 300 block of North Crystal Lake Drive in reference to an aggravated assault with a firearm. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a husband and wife who advised they were driving on State Road 408 Eastbound when they noticed a white Dodge Charger pass them on the shoulder of the road.
According to the couple, the driver of the Charger then positioned his car next to their SUV, lowered his window, and pointed a gun at their vehicle. The victims reported that the driver of the Charger appeared to chamber a round into the gun while telling them they were lucky he did not kill them.
During the confrontation, one of the victims managed to take a photo of the Charger’s license plate. However, officers who responded to the registered address for the Charger did not find the car.
On September 4, 2024, detectives were notified that OPD TAC units stopped the same Charger for a traffic violation near the intersection of South Orange Avenue and East South Street.
During their investigation, the driver was identified as one of the registered owners of the vehicle, J.R. Jean Philippe.
Philippe stated no one else drives his Charger and that he is often involved in road rage incidents. He also told officers he had a semi-automatic pistol in his vehicle that matched the description provided by the victims in this case. Further evidence, including road surveillance video, was obtained that corroborated the victims’ accounts, according to local law enforcement.
Based on the information above, probable cause was established to charge Philippe with Aggravated Assault with a Firearm. According to OPD, he was taken into custody on September 20th, by law enforcement in Lake County.
