A Fort Lauderdale woman has been charged with a serious bout of road rage turned potentially deadly after she allegedly threatened another driver with a gun while falsely claiming to be a police officer. On a day like any other, beneath the Florida sun where tempers are as likely to flare as the heat, the incident unfolded near Fort Lauderdale Beach, sparking fear and leading to felony charges.
The confrontation began with a seemingly mundane traffic maneuver, as the alleged victim was making a left turn from State Road A1A onto Sunrise Boulevard. Shaley Joanne Alvarez, 35, is accused of having aggressively cut him off. As tensions escalated, Alvarez is reported to have brandished a handgun, asking the other driver, "Do you know that I am a cop? Pull over!" according to an arrest report obtained by Local10. The man, convinced a traffic stop was underway and fearing for his life, pulled over near the Galleria mall and immediately called 911.
In a quick response, authorities arrived to find Alvarez armed, but denying she had pointed the weapon at the man. She was arrested on charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, impersonation of a law enforcement officer in the commission of a felony, and improper exhibition of a firearm. Information from the Broward County Sheriff's Office details Alvarez's bail was initially set at $0.00 for each charge.
This is not Alvarez's first brush with traffic incidents. Court records indicate that since 2010, she has amassed 18 traffic tickets across Broward and Palm Beach counties. After this latest incident, she was given a $16,000 bond and the judge ordered her to have no contact with the victim and barred her from possessing any firearms. As per the latest updates, Alvarez is no longer listed in the Broward jail records as of yesterday.
