Florida teacher allegedly caught on video pulling gun on teen in road rage dispute
A Florida Panhandle teacher is charged with aggravated assault after video appears to show him pulling a gun on a teenager in an apparent road rage dispute, according to the Walton County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say 36-year-old Brandon Greggory Crumbley, a teacher and bus driver at Okaloosa Academy, “brake-checked” a car driven by a 16-year-old.
Brake-checking is a tactic in which a driver aggressively hits the brakes in retaliation for a car behind them which they perceive to be tailgating.
Shortly afterward, Crumbley parked his vehicle at the apartment complex where he resides when the teenager pulled alongside. Words were exchanged, investigators say, and then Crumbley lifted his shirt to reveal a firearm.
When questioned by investigators, Crumbley said he never removed the weapon from its holster and never brandished it in a threatening manner.
Surveillance video, however, appears to tell a different story.
In the video, not only did Crumbley remove the weapon from its holster, but waved it in the air, appearing to taunt the teenager with it.
As the teen’s vehicle is leaving the area, Crumbley is seen holding the gun over his head while pointing it at the teen’s car, then in a way seeming to gesture the teen to return.
After seeing the surveillance footage, a warrant was issued for Crumbley’s arrest and he was taken into custody Thursday by the U.S. Marshals Task Force at his home in Freeport, Fla.
Crumbley is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, improperly exhibiting a firearm, and obstruction of justice. He posted $10,000 and was released pending an initial court appearance.