A Winder man was arrested following a reported incident of road rage involving a gun.
About 4:30 p.m. March 30, 2012, a deputy with the was dispatched to the area of Ga. Highway 316 Eastbound near Patrick Mill Road in reference to report of road rage involving a firearm.
The suspect vehicle was spotted in a turn lane at Ga. Highway 82 and the deputy initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle pulled over in the parking lot, where the deputy made contact with the driver.
When the officer asked the driver, who identified himself as Jeffrey Craig Hatcher of 433 Aberdeen Way in Winder, about the incident, the man said he did have a firearm in the center console of his vehicle. Inside the vehicle, the deputy secured a 38 Smith and Wesson Revolver.
The driver told the deputy he works for a security company and was required to carry a firearm as part of his job.
The man said he had tried to pass a vehicle with two teenagers inside but they would not let him pass. He was finally able to pass them but said he never showed them his firearm.
While a deputy was speaking with the suspect, a second law enforcement officer spoke with the complainants, who had also pulled into the Chick-fil-A parking lot. The individuals were asked to describe the firearm and what happened. Both complainants said the driver had pulled out a chrome revolver and pointed it at them.
When a deputy read the suspect his rights, the man said he had not shown or pointed the firearm at anyone.
Hatcher was placed under arrest.
While en route to the Barrow County Detention Center, the officer asked the man if he understood why he was being detained. According to an incident report, Hatcher responded, "When you show people a badge they automatically assume you have a gun."
The suspect was referring to a security badge that had been located in his vehicle.
Hatcher is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of terroristic threats and acts and two counts of impersonating a peace officer.
Do you experience occasional or even regular road rage? What are the things other drivers do that make you the maddest? Tell us in comments.
You amaze me in several ways. Not only are you an Editor but you actually share a moment of your personal thoughts on some articles. Quite unique I must add. Joe in Virginia
In response to your questions! Being an avid news reader a few months past I was casually reading online news reports. I came across your article about the father that turned in his daughter to police for possessing drugs in his home, refusing to disclose the how, where of her getting them. Also complimented you on being "a breath of fresh air'" in Winder news print articles. Ring a bell? I have no ties to your community other than via your news articles. I did glance at your bio and found you quite interesting, well educated and an animal lover. Occasionally an article you’ve written or contributed towards will catch my eye and I crank up the PC and "it's off to Barrow Patch I go". No disrespect but the name Barrow Patch is catchy and signifies a small town atmosphere. That is a compliment. Yep, it does catch this city boys attention. I visualize a country town with quaint settings, one stop light with a wide thru town road. With any luck a visitor might just possibly run across an old drug store that still has lunch counters that caters to the locals. Maybe even a stranger could an order up a BLT with a milkshake. Perhaps! Joe.