Detroit judge experiences dangers of road rage first hand
(CBS DETROIT) - A Judge is on the other side of the courtroom after being the target of a road rage incident.
Judge Kenneth King, of the 36th District Court, said he feared for his life and is sharing his story to create change.
"What's going through my mind is, 'I don't want to end up on my own docket.' Because I do the homicides for the city of Detroit," King said.
The judge said the incident happened on Dec. 4 as he was approaching the Southfield Freeway. King said a car swerved into his lane, and he honked, figuring that would be the end of it.
However the situation quickly escalated, he said the car followed him onto the freeway, trying to run him into the wall.
"They were shouting, screaming at me. The passenger was hanging out the vehicle flashing gang signs, spitting at my vehicle. And they chased and harassed me from Oakland and Southfield Freeway all the way to Six Mile. Some nine miles," he said.
The judge said he went into survival mode, as he feared they were armed.
"I don't want them to pull a gun on me, because if they pull a gun on me then I'm going to have to do what I have to do in order to survive."
King then called 911, and gave police the license plate number, and tried to distance himself from the car.
"When I got off at Six Mile they got off at Six Mile, continued to try to harass me. Pulling alongside of me, trying to run their vehicle into mine," he said.
Eventually, King was able to get away but said every driver on the freeway was put in danger.
"He came to a complete stop on the freeway for at least 20 seconds," King said of the other driver.
The suspect was arrested and has been charged with three felonies. He will have a preliminary examination on Friday.
King said he hopes his story can be an example.
"You don't know who's out here with you. I could have been anyone, I could have been just as crazy as they were. And we could have gotten into a shootout."
He said patrols on some of the city's freeways will increase because incidents like what he went through are happening far too often.
