What started as an argument in a gym parking lot in League City turned into a gun-flashing chase down the freeway Sunday night, ending with a 24-year-old in handcuffs and facing multiple felony charges, police said.
League City officers said the man repeatedly pointed a handgun at another driver during the encounter, which began near the gym and continued along the Gulf Freeway before ending with a traffic stop in Webster. Police said his bond was set at $44,000.
What police say
According to FOX 26 Houston, League City police identified the suspect as 24-year-old Joshua Leslie, who they said was driving a black Chevy Silverado when he allegedly yelled at another driver in a gym parking lot and then followed him onto the Gulf Freeway.
The victim told officers Leslie got out of his truck in a gas-station parking lot and again pointed a handgun at him, according to police. Officers later located both vehicles on the North Freeway and pulled over the Silverado in Webster, where the chase came to an end.
Houston's road-rage problem
This latest arrest arrives against a backdrop of high-profile road-rage incidents across the Houston area. An analysis cited by Axios, using data from The Trace and the Gun Violence Archive, found that Houston led the nation in road-rage shootings from 2014 through 2023, a troubling distinction the Houston Chronicle has also flagged as a growing public-safety concern.
Charges and legal implications
Police said Leslie was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated and unlawful carry of a weapon. In Texas, aggravated assault involving a deadly weapon is typically treated as a second-degree felony, with the potential for enhanced penalties in some situations. Details are outlined in Texas Penal Code §22.02.
Scene and evidence
League City police said officers used a taser to subdue Leslie after he refused commands during the stop. Inside the pickup, investigators reported finding three handguns, one shotgun and multiple boxes of ammunition. Those details were released by the League City Police Department and reported by FOX 26 Houston.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the League City Police Department’s non-emergency line at 281-332-2566, according to the department’s website.
