Man accused of road rage incident that led to helicopter chase ‘just wanted to scare' driver
A road rage shooting Friday evening escalated to gunfire and a dramatic helicopter chase that ended with an arrest at the suspect's home in Gwinnett County.
The incident began near Buford Drive and South Lee Street near Buford, according to police reports, when two drivers got into a confrontation that quickly turned violent.
'One of the drivers honked at the other driver. Some gestures were given. Verbal threats might have been spoken, and one of the drivers produced a handgun and shot at the other,' said Cpl. Juan Madiedo, with Gwinnett County police, told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson.
The victim called 911 to report being shot at by another driver at around 4:45 p.m. Officers responded to the area near Interstate 985 and Buford Drive.
Police had an advantage in tracking down the suspect thanks to their Air 1 helicopter.
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'Our aviation unit happened to be up in the air at that time. They were quickly dispatched to that call and were able to find the suspect vehicle and not only guide officers to it, but assist in the apprehension of the suspect,' Madiedo said.
Video from the helicopter shows the suspect's blue Volkswagen Atlas being followed through a residential neighborhood before the chase ended at Arthur Brodeur's home on Newbridge Circle.
Police arrested Brodeur, 62, and found a loaded handgun. They said they also found spent shell casings in his vehicle.
The victim told police that he thought the suspect hit his vehicle during the incident, and he tried to get him to pull over.
Brodeur told officers that the other driver was getting too close and he 'just wanted to scare him to get [the victim] to leave him alone,' according to the police report.
Madiedo warned drivers about the dangers of road rage escalation.
'We know people are armed out here, and that's fine, but please avoid confrontation, if at all possible, and always call 911 if you feel threatened,' he said.
Brodeur faces a felony aggravated assault charge and remains in the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.
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