A Louisville man allegedly pointed a gun at a stranger and punched him in the face outside a Speedway gas station on Taylor Boulevard while his cousin loaded the victim's electric bicycle into their van — with four children sitting inside the vehicle at the time, according to police. Duane Donnell Alexander, 45, and Dasha L. Watkins, 38, now face felony charges stemming from the confrontation, which authorities say unfolded Tuesday afternoon.
According to WKRC, the two approached the victim as he was inflating a flat tire on his e-bike, and Watkins allegedly handed Alexander a gun, which he then pointed at the man before punching him in the face. As reported by WDRB, the confrontation occurred at roughly 12:27 p.m. on September 8 at the Speedway in the 3000 block of Taylor Boulevard. Watkins told investigators she was trying to reclaim a bike that had been stolen from Alexander three weeks earlier, and that she helped load the $1,200 e-bike into the van simply to get her cousin to leave the scene, per WKRC's reporting.
Traffic Stop Ends the Getaway
Police stopped Alexander and Watkins' Chevrolet Express van fewer than 30 minutes after the confrontation began, according to WKRC. WDRB's account adds geographic detail, reporting that officers located and stopped the van near Euclid Avenue and 7th Street Road after it made a brief stop on Arcade Avenue. When officers searched the vehicle, the e-bike was gone — it had apparently been unloaded during that Arcade Avenue stop, the same report notes.
Watkins reportedly told investigators she did not know where Alexander had put the bicycle, and separately said she did not know where the gun came from. She said she saw Alexander hit the victim and point the weapon at him, and told investigators the pair had stopped at a home to unload the e-bike, according to the station's report.
Confronted With Video, Alexander Asks for a Lawyer
When officers showed Alexander cellphone video capturing the assault, he denied wrongdoing, reportedly telling police, “That doesn't show nothing. I was getting my bike back.” He then requested a lawyer, per the same account. Police say the suspects were recorded loading the bicycle into their van, according to WKRC's reporting.
Alexander was booked into custody on charges of First-Degree Robbery, Fourth-Degree Assault with no visible injury, Third-Degree Terroristic Threatening, and Tampering with Physical Evidence, while Watkins was charged with First-Degree Robbery, according to WDRB. Alexander is being held on a $20,000 cash bond, and Watkins was given a $5,000 bond, per WKRC. Jefferson County booking records show the pair were processed into the county jail on September 8, one of 69 arrest bookings recorded that day, according to Kentucky Arrests.
What the Charges Could Mean
First-Degree Robbery is a Class B felony in Kentucky under KRS 515.020, carrying a potential prison sentence of 10 to 20 years and fines up to $10,000, according to the Baldani Law Group. Because it is classified as a violent offense under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 439.3401, anyone convicted must serve at least 85% of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole or probation, per FindLaw.
Alexander's tampering charge, under KRS 524.100, is a Class D felony punishable by one to five years in prison and fines between $1,000 and $10,000, according to the Larmour Law Offices. His terroristic threatening and assault charges are also listed in the case.
Same Gas Station Saw Violence Before
The Taylor Boulevard Speedway has a history with violent crime. In October 2012, a customer was shot in the back at the same location, and two suspects were later arrested and charged with robbery and assault, according to WHAS11's reporting from that year.
The alleged robbery also lands amid ongoing scrutiny of e-bikes in Louisville. Hoodline reported in August on an e-bike lawsuit involving a Louisville Metro Police officer. And in a July briefing, Louisville Metro Police Department leadership noted that even as homicides and non-fatal shootings declined citywide, property crime enforcement targeting stolen vehicles and thefts remains an active focus for officers.
Alexander and Watkins are due back in court on September 17. It remains unresolved where, exactly, the e-bike ended up after being unloaded from the van on Arcade Avenue, whether the gun used in the confrontation has been recovered, and whether additional charges tied to the four children present in the vehicle will be filed as the case moves forward.
