Home / Crime and Justice / Honked At? Arizona Man Aims AR-15 Style Rifle
Honked At? Arizona Man Aims AR-15 Style Rifle
12 Mar
Summary
- A driver brandished an AR-15 style rifle after being honked at.
- The incident occurred in a parking lot near Yuma and Watson roads.
- The suspect was arrested after police used license plate readers.
A road rage incident in West Valley, Arizona, on March 10, 2026, led to an arrest after a driver allegedly threatened another motorist with a rifle. Erik Nelson French, 32, of Goodyear, was accused of disorderly conduct with a weapon after the confrontation.
The incident began around 1 p.m. when French, backing out of a parking spot in a maroon Jeep Gladiator, nearly hit another vehicle. When the other driver honked, French reportedly retrieved an AR-15 style rifle from his back seat and pointed it at her. The woman drove away and immediately called 911.
Buckeye police, utilizing license plate reader information, located French approximately two hours later at a shopping plaza. Officers found the rifle under the back seat of his Jeep and arrested him. French admitted to brandishing the firearm because he was angered by being honked at twice.
Authorities praised the victim's actions, emphasizing the importance of leaving a dangerous situation and calling 911. French was booked into jail, and the rifle was seized. He was released on a $10,000 bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 19, 2026.
