Carson City deputies arrest man in road rage incident, vehicle window shattered with flashlight

A 36-year-old Gardnerville man was arrested Wednesday for suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment with a deadly weapon and a lesser charge following a road rage incident, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Richard Charles Ridley was arrested at 4:34 p.m. in the area of East Fifth Street and Saliman Road. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of breaking or tampering with a motor vehicle.

According to the arrest report, deputies were called to the area in reference to a road rage incident. Dispatch advised two men were on scene in a dispute and one broke the other’s vehicle window with a flashlight.

Deputies investigating the incident encountered Ridley in a Hyundai SUV, the victim in a black Subaru and a woman in a tan Chevy Tahoe.

Ridley told deputies he observed the Subaru driver speeding southbound on Fairview and came up behind his girlfriend’s vehicle, the Chevy Tahoe, at a high rate of speed and swerved around her on the wrong side of the road to pass, cutting the woman off and continuing southbound. He told the deputy it made him angry because the woman’s two year old child was in her vehicle, according to the arrest report.

Both he and the girlfriend then pursued the Subaru and admitted to tailgating. The Subaru driver admitted he brake checked the woman’s vehicle as she was tailgating him, the arrest report states.

Ridley told the deputy he was attempting to detain the victim’s vehicle for the traffic violation he first witnessed and blocked the victim’s vehicle in the front while the woman pulled up close behind to box him in, the arrest report states.

The Subaru driver then pulled around the suspect’s car and took off, west on Fifth Street. Traffic slowed as they approached the red light at Fifth and Saliman. The suspect said they all stopped at the light and he approached the driver’s side of the Subaru armed with a large maglight flashlight.

Ridley said he yelled at the Subaru driver and slammed his hand and flashlight onto the driver’s window, shattering it. He said the Subaru driver made mention of a carry conceal permit and so he backed off, the arrest report states. Numerous other drivers in the area called to report the incident. Ridley did not call 911 at anytime.

Deputies then spoke with the Subaru driver, who said the woman pulled out in front of him without warning and that he had to swerve out of the way to avoid an accident. He estimated his speed at 40 mph. He confirmed he passed the woman on the left and stated he had no other way around to avoid a collision. He said Ridley and the woman began to tailgate him, flipped him off and blared their horn, according to the arrest report.

The Subaru driver said he continued through the roundabout on Fifth. He confirmed he brake checked the woman in the Chevy Tahoe, saying she was very close to his rear bumper. He admitted the brake check did not help the situation, the arrest report states.

The Subaru driver said the suspect then pulled around the woman’s vehicle and ran him off the road. The victim stated if he had not swerved off the road into the dirt, the suspect’s vehicle would have hit him. The Subaru driver said he was not armed nor did he store a gun in his car. Several witnesses on scene said Ridley backed off until deputies arrived on scene.

The woman stated she was angry when she said the Subaru swerved around her and cut her off. She said she flipped him off and used her horn and said her intention was to report the Subaru driver to authorities.

She admitted to speeding to around 60 mph to catch up to the Subaru and admitted to tailgating him and then boxing him in when Ridley nearly ran him off the road. She said she was angry as her 2-year-old was in the vehicle the entire time, the arrest report states.

A deputy cautioned the woman about her dangerous driving actions during the event. She told the deputy she had realized how the situation escalated, partly due to her anger, the report states. She wrote a statement and left the scene.

Ridley said he had no formal training of speed estimation or traffic enforcement and the actions that are used by law enforcement. He admitted he used his vehicle to try to detain the Suburb driver for a perceived traffic violation, the arrest report states.

He admitted to approaching the Subaru driver in a threatening manner while armed with a large flashlight and breaking the window of the Subaru with the flashlight while threatening him, the arrest report states. Total bail amount listed at $40,352.

In other arrests:
— A 25-year-old Carson City man was arrested early Thursday morning for misdemeanor suspicion of trespass and battery at a residence in the 3000 block of Tonni Street.

According to the arrest report, the suspect allegedly walked into a residence while the homeowner was watching television. The victim told the man to get out of his home.

The homeowner said the man pushed and began throwing punches. The victim’s left eye was visibly bruised. The victim said he defended himself and pushed the man out of the residence.

Deputies located the suspect who had been observed earlier walking away from a nearby parked vehicle. A deputy located him on the ground behind vehicles in a driveway on Nye Lane and ordered the man to show the officer his hands, the arrest report states.

The man identified himself and was detained. He had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person and had difficulty maintaining balance.

The homeowner positively identified the suspect as the man who entered his home and battered him and said he wanted to pursue criminal charges for trespassing and battery. The suspect was arrested. During transport he was emotional and become uncooperative at jail. Bail: $1,379.

— A 24-year-old Carson City man was arrested Wednesday for a misdemeanor contempt of court warrant issued August 6, 2018 out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail: $5,000.

— A 24-year-old Carson City man was arrested Wednesday, 4:45 a.m. for a misdemeanor contempt of court warrant issued Nov. 16, 2017 out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail: $175.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.