A Weld County teenager is under arrest after deputies say he chased another driver for several miles and pointed what looked like a handgun at him during a road rage confrontation near Greeley. Jaime Rodriguez, 18, was taken into custody on suspicion of aggravated menacing following the encounter on Wednesday.
According to the Weld County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a harassment-in-progress call on Wednesday near Highway 34 westbound and East 27th Street, just north of Greeley. Investigators say Rodriguez reportedly followed the victim's vehicle for several miles, from Interstate 76 all the way to Weld County Road 49, before the confrontation escalated.
Deputies say Rodriguez reportedly slowed down in front of the victim's vehicle, pulled in front of it, and blocked the victim's attempts to pass. At one point near East 27th Street, north of Highway 34, Rodriguez allegedly pointed a gun at the victim. The weapon appeared to deputies to be a Glock 9mm, but it was later determined to be a .177 pellet gun, per deputies.
How the Confrontation Ended
Rodriguez reportedly drove away once the victim returned to his own car, according to the sheriff's office. Investigators developed probable cause to arrest Rodriguez on suspicion of menacing-aggravated, non-family, involving a weapon, and he was booked into custody. As with any criminal case, the charges remain accusations, and Rodriguez is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Even though the weapon turned out to be a pellet gun rather than a firearm, Colorado law treats that distinction narrowly when it comes to menacing charges. Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 18-3-206, menacing is elevated from a misdemeanor to a Class 5 felony when committed with a firearm, knife, bludgeon, or a simulated version of one of those weapons — including a pellet gun or replica firearm — according to the Law Offices of M. Colin Bresee. A Class 5 felony conviction in Colorado can carry one to three years in state prison, up to two years of mandatory parole, and fines ranging from $1,000 to $100,000, the firm notes.
Why Air Guns Count as Deadly Weapons
The legal reasoning traces back to a 1993 Colorado appellate case, People in Interest of J.R., which found that air-powered guns firing BBs or pellets can qualify as deadly weapons because they are capable of causing serious injury, such as permanent eye damage, according to Justia Law. That precedent is part of why prosecutors can pursue felony menacing rather than the lesser charge of prohibited use of a weapon, a Class 1 misdemeanor under C.R.S. § 18-12-106 that applies to unlawfully aiming or recklessly displaying a weapon without necessarily proving intent to induce fear of serious injury, per the O'Malley Law Office.
This is not the first time Weld County has seen a similar case. Back in October 2017, deputies arrested a driver in unincorporated Weld County who pointed a BB gun at another motorist during a road rage dispute, resulting in a Class 5 felony menacing charge, the sheriff's office says.
A Pattern of Escalating Highway Disputes
The Rodriguez arrest lands amid a run of serious road rage cases across the region. In June, Weld County deputies responded to a road rage incident near Highway 85 and 37th Street that escalated into a shooting, wounding a driver and leading to attempted second-degree murder charges, according to KUSA-TV. Just two days ago, prosecutors in neighboring Jefferson County filed first-degree murder charges against a couple after a minor traffic collision on Santa Fe Drive spiraled into a multi-mile chase and fatal shooting, as Hoodline reported.
Statewide numbers help explain why. In 2025, the Colorado State Patrol's aggressive driver hotline received 33,387 calls tied specifically to road rage or aggressive driving, making up 57.3% of all emergency driver reports processed that year, per Alive at 25. Separate traffic safety surveys ranked Colorado fourth in the nation for road rage incidents in 2026, with nearly 46% of surveyed drivers reporting they had been insulted or threatened by another motorist, according to the Law Office of Stuart Mann.
What Troopers Recommend If You're Targeted
The Colorado State Patrol advises motorists who encounter aggressive drivers to pull over at a safe location and immediately dial *277 or 911 with a description of the vehicle and its license plate, strongly warning victims never to engage or pursue the aggressor, per CBS News. In its release on the Rodriguez case, the Weld County Sheriff's Office echoed that guidance, encouraging anyone who becomes the target of road rage to reach a safe location and contact law enforcement immediately.
It remains unclear whether the Weld County District Attorney's Office has filed formal felony charges against Rodriguez or what conditions of bond or release, if any, have been set. As the sheriff's office noted in its release, all charges are merely accusations, and Rodriguez is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
