What started as rush-hour horn blasts in Florida City on Wednesday ended with a felony arrest, after police say a 63-year-old driver chased another motorist and pointed a handgun during a roadside confrontation.
According to an arrest report, the dustup kicked off just after 5:30 p.m. at the busy intersection of Palm Drive and Krome Avenue. Police say one driver, later identified as Billy Graham Tindal of Lakeland, honked at another motorist when the light changed. What could have been a brief bout of commuter irritation allegedly escalated as Tindal followed the other vehicle onto U.S. 1.
Investigators say Tindal, who authorities report is temporarily staying in Homestead, tried to run the other car off the road along U.S. 1. The report states that he then rolled down his window and “pointed a small handgun” at the other driver. The victim kept following at a safe distance while calling police, trailing Tindal to the area of Hummingbird Drive and Jay Court in Homestead, where officers from that city arrived. Florida City police later took Tindal into custody there and seized a firearm, according to the report, as reported by Local 10.
The arrest report notes that Tindal “gave multiple conflicting statements” to investigators. At one point, police say, he claimed he had pulled into a hotel parking lot to get away. However, investigators reviewed his dashboard camera footage and wrote that it showed him behaving aggressively and attempting to run the other driver off the road. The officer said the video did not clearly show Tindal visibly brandishing a weapon, but officers still booked him on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving. As of Thursday, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $2,650 bond, according to the report, as reported by Local 10.
Charges and potential penalties
Under Florida law, aggravated assault “with a deadly weapon” is a third-degree felony. The offense is defined in Section 784.021 of the Florida Statutes. Reckless driving is prosecuted under the state’s traffic statutes, specifically Section 316.192.
Potential penalties can vary based on the facts of the case and any prior criminal record, with courts weighing the specific circumstances of the alleged conduct.
Police review and next steps
Florida City police have forwarded the case to the county court system, and Tindal remains in custody pending arraignment. Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center is Miami-Dade County’s designated intake facility for arrests and bookings, according to county corrections information.
Upcoming court dockets and filings will determine how prosecutors proceed, including whether they seek any additional charges or sentence enhancements.
