A man is in custody after he threatened a teen driver with death.
According to the Surprise Police Department, on the morning of December 5th, 2023, just before 9:00 a.m., a road rage incident occurred in the area of N Litchfield Rd and W Cactus Rd. A nineteen-year-old female called the police after a man became upset after she changed lanes in front of him.
The man, identified as Charles Bass III, allegedly extended his middle finger while driving, but when both vehicles were stopped, he pointed a firearm at her. The teenage victim captured a video of the incident on her cell phone.
The victim reached a safe place, where a patrol officer contacted her. The patrol officer watched the video and observed Bass’ vehicle, face, and actions. Bass was seen pointing a black handgun at the victim with his finger on the trigger and shouted, “You want to die!?”
Video evidence was obtained from several sources to identify Bass as the suspect.
On December 12th, Bass was taken into custody by members of the US Marshals Task Force, US Air Force, and Surprise PD. Bass was arrested on the following charges: Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Disorderly Conduct with a Weapon, and Endangerment.