A man was shot and killed in Arizona during a road rage incident, and children were present in both the victim’s and the suspect’s vehicles.
Dustin Jackson, 46, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and a drive-by shooting, according to Phoenix-based independent TV station KTVK.
Jackson’s attorney claims that his client’s actions were “reasonable in light of the circumstances.”
Those “circumstances” occurred around noon on Tuesday, July 1, while Jackson was driving his 6-year-old daughter in a GMC Sierra pickup truck.
According to court documents reviewed by the outlet, 29-year-old Steven Bevan was driving his 9- and 8-year-old sons in a Dodge Challenger when the two vehicles came to a stoplight on Warner Road in Tempe, Arizona, ready to turn left onto Priest Road.
Jackson told investigators that he honked when the light turned green and Bevan did not move his car—and that after a short distance of driving, Bevan swerved into his lane and stopped abruptly in front of him. According to law enforcement, witnesses reported that Bevan exited his Dodge Challenger and yelled at Jackson as he approached his door.
Jackson is believed to have opened his truck door and fired a gunshot at Bevan, striking him in the chest. According to authorities, the victim was unarmed and had no weapons in his car. According to reports, the suspect is a former Marine who stands 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 300 pounds.
Police discovered cocaine in Jackson’s glove compartment, according to KTVK.
None of the children were physically injured, but one of Bevan’s sons recorded a portion of the road-rage incident, authorities discovered. The boy recorded as his father allegedly approached Jackson’s truck and placed his hand on its door.
Jackson allegedly stated later that he was “in fear for his and his daughter’s life.”
The video reportedly goes dark after the gunshot, but yells of “Call 911” and “Who shot my dad?” can still be heard.
Bevan, who is said to have stood 5 feet, seven inches tall and weighed around 190 pounds, was taken to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries.
Jackson is being held in the local jail under a $1 million bond.
