Tenn. Police Chief Probed for Road Rage

Feb. 16, 2010
A resident alleges that the chief pulled a gun on him following a road rage incident.

ETHRIDGE, Tenn. --

The police chief in the Lawrence County town of Ethridge, Tenn., is under investigation after a resident claims the officer pulled a gun on him in a road rage incident.

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Thomas Jager of Columbia told police that Ethridge Police Chief Esley Shelton cut him off Feb. 10 while driving on Highway 43.

"He came close to hitting my truck. I had to put my brakes on and swerve to keep from being hit by him," Jager said.

Jager said he rolled down his window near Nashville Highway to speak with Shelton.

Then the two men got into an argument, curse words were exchanged and Shelton allegedly pulled out a revolver.

"He said, 'Well, that's enough,' kind of reached down between his legs, come out of his car, walked over to my truck and pointed a gun at me through the window," Jager told Channel 4 News.

"When you look at it, all you see is the barrel. The big black hole from the barrel is kind of intimidating," Jager said.

Jager said Shelton then returned to his car and got out a badge, which he showed to Jager.

"My adrenaline was flowing pretty good. I don't know if I was scared, just shocked, more than anything," Jager said.

Channel 4 was unable to contact Shelton at his home Monday, and no one answered the phone at City Hall or the Ethridge Police Department.

District attorney Mike Bottoms is deciding whether to prosecute the case. He said his office is assisting the Columbia Police Department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Driver Says Officer Flashed Gun In Road Rage Incident

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