Houston Marine veteran says neighbor shouted racial slurs, tried to run him over
A 64-year-old Houston man is facing second-degree felony charges after allegedly attempting to run over his neighbor while shouting racial slurs, according to Houston police.
Jesse Ruffer, 64, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following the incident on Winsome Lane in West Houston, police said.
The alleged confrontation occurred Monday afternoon after Blaine McShaw, a Marine veteran, said he briefly stepped off the sidewalk to avoid a puddle, according to Houston ABC station KTRK-TV.
"I walked out in the street just enough around a parked car," McShaw told KTRK. "This gentleman like swerved really close to me."
According to McShaw, Ruffer then allegedly threatened him with racial slurs, stating, "If you want to walk in the street ... I'll run you down." McShaw said he remained calm during the incident and contacted law enforcement instead of engaging with the suspect.
"I was just more taken aback by the fact that he actually said that after trying to literally run me over in a car," McShaw said.
MORE: Former Florida student schemed to overturn his conviction in friend's 2012 murder
During a bail hearing, prosecutor Christine Huang requested a bond of $51,000, citing the use of a vehicle as a deadly weapon and the defendant's previous arrest warrant from 2022 for a terroristic threat charge.
"This is indicative of his violent propensity," Huang told the court.
Ruffer's public defender argued for a lower $15,000 bond, noting that her client was a lifetime Houston resident who had lived at his current address for 38 years. She emphasized that this was Ruffer's first arrest and that he had no criminal history.
The judge set the bond at $20,000 and imposed several conditions, including no contact with McShaw and that he remain within the Houston area. The judge also ordered Ruffer to stay at least 200 feet away from McShaw's home and work addresses.
In the 2022 case, Ruffer is accused of calling his Arab neighbor a terrorist and threatening to kill both the neighbor and the man's dog, according to KTRK. Court records show he received a general order bond in that case.
If convicted of the current charge, Ruffer could face up to 20 years in prison, according to Houston police.
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