Crazy road rage shooting in Miami last June

[bcla]

Not sure exactly what the point is. Most definitely it didn't seem like he was in any danger, but he pulls out a gun and starts wildly shooting it through his own car's windows. Oddly enough nobody got hurt, and he even turned himself in, including the dash cam video from his own car.

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local...s-down-i-95-road-rage-shooting-video/2676720/

The 411 is that he apparently cut of another driver, who then honked and tailgated. Then he pulls out his gun and starts wildly firing in different directions after an object was thrown. He claims that he thought that he'd been fired upon. His attorney is saying that the shooting was justified. I'm pretty sure that it's still illegal for anyone except law enforcement to shoot at a moving vehicle, and I'm sure they're far more judicious about it than firing wildly during rush hour. If he had killed someone, he would have been looking at murder or manslaughter.

 

[mylilnikita]

Florida is special lol. He probably going to do Stand Your Ground.

They were both dumb and lucky things didn’t get worse.

Him cutting someone off
Other guy looks like they pulled up close and if he tailedfated after was stupid.
Throwing anything out of a moving vehicle can be considered a projectile or missile and is illegal.
And then the idiot who set this in motion whipping out his gun and shooting like he was at MK riding Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger.

 

[mylilnikita]

And he whipped out his weapon before the other car was on his side so how he be scared of something being thrown when it was behind him.?

 

[JimMIA]

Yeah, this has been in the local news a lot for a couple of days. "Livin' the dream in the 305!"

Both drivers immediately called 911, and Popper turned several car videos over to FHP because he thought they proved his innocence, LOL. In one of the videos, you can hear a noise before he starts shooting, which I assume was the bottle hitting his car.

The thing that really surprised me is that Popper actually hit the other car a couple of times. I don't know how. He was just shooting wildly -- not aiming, actually not even pointing the gun at anything. It looked to me like he was okay until the first shot and then the noise of the gunfire in an enclosed vehicle freaked him out.

Popper was apparently employed by Miami Beach Fire as a fire inspector. Not sure how he got that job with an arrest record the new media was able to get easily. I assume he was fired as a result of this incident.

I think Chief Colina's assessment of the situation is very accurate. I suspect the City really misses Chief Colina...good man.

After he retired, they brought in a clown from Houston for a few months, but had to fire him.

 

[JimMIA]

They were both dumb and lucky things didn’t get worse.

Him cutting someone off
Other guy looks like they pulled up close and if he tailedfated after was stupid.

Yep. He cut the other driver off, the other driver blew his horn and then tailgated him. He brake-checked the tailgater, so that clown pulled up and threw a bottle at his car. And the rest is history.

As we say in Miami: "Nacho, Nacho Man. I wanna be a Nacho man!" They both want to be macho, but only made it to Nacho.

 

[bcla]

And then the idiot who set this in motion whipping out his gun and shooting like he was at MK riding Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger.

For his first few shots, he was actually closing his eyes in anticipation of each shot, kind of how like Mike Myers had that habit when filming the Austin Powers movies. They turned that into a signature character quirk.

 

[JimMIA]

I think it's good to remember that this isolated act of stupidity is not "normal" in Miami. It's primarily news because of the graphic video the moron himself provided. Nobody was hurt, although they were both very lucky.

What you DON'T see in Miami is what we see in many other cities -- organized, large-scale retail looting, high and rising levels of violent crime, startling murder rates -- both in numbers and population ratios, and other similar problems. We have some areas that are rough, like Miami Gardens (which is lovingly called "Murder Gardens" locally) and we have our occasional "305 moments," but Miami is generally a peaceful, safe place.

And the reason it is safe -- as opposed to many places like LA, Chicago, NYC, Philadelphia, etc, etc -- is consequences. In many cities, these charges would be quietly dropped even if the defendant had an extensive violent felony criminal history. Not here.

This clown is going to jail. He has one minor arrest 10 years ago, nobody was hurt, and it was a mutually-stupid situation, so he won't get a long sentence -- but there will be consequences in addition to losing his job.

 

[MillauFr]

This doesn't just happen in Miami. It happens in LA too. And in true LA fashion their biggest concern is their hair will get messed up....

LA Story - Springtime in LA - YouTube

 

[chickapin parterre]

For his first few shots, he was actually closing his eyes in anticipation of each shot, kind of how like Mike Myers had that habit when filming the Austin Powers movies. They turned that into a signature character quirk.

his eyes are shut because the car rolls down a window and throws a water bottle smashing his window....he thinks it is a gun, if you watch his posture. he leans back into the seat to avoid the bullets from other car......I also thought it was the power of the hand gun....but the they explaind it to us yesteday, several times on Daily mail...

 

[bcla]

his eyes are shut because the car rolls down a window and throws a water bottle smashing his window....he thinks it is a gun, if you watch his posture. he leans back into the seat to avoid the bullets from other car......I also thought it was the power of the hand gun....but the they explaind it to us yesteday, several times on Daily mail...

I looked at the video (well into the GMA piece) and his first shot is what broke the window. He's also got his gun pulled out well before the other car is at his side.

 

[a1tinkfans]

And he whipped out his weapon before the other car was on his side so how he be scared of something being thrown when it was behind him.?

AGREE, the weapon was pulled before that veh was even at his window from what I recall seeing. Glad no one seriously hurt. Goodness…

 

[kdonnel]

The only road rage I have experienced is in Miami. In the rental car parking deck at MIA.

I have also never heard the horn used as much anywhere else. Does Miami teach their drivers to use their knees so that both hands are available for the horn?

 

[chickapin parterre]

I looked at the video (well into the GMA piece) and his first shot is what broke the window. He's also got his gun pulled out well before the other car is at his side.

what came first the water bottle splattering on the window, the car rolling down its window or the shots...for sure gun was pulled out long before...but guns are always pulled out when these rages happen from the very begining....why there are guns sitting on consoles right now...that is why never honk, never gesture, never tailgate.....don't engage.

 

[bcla]

what came first the water bottle splattering on the window, the car rolling down its window or the shots...for sure gun was pulled out long before...but guns are always pulled out when these rages happen from the very begining....why there are guns sitting on consoles right now...that is why never honk, never gesture, never tailgate.....don't engage.

That's water. I've had stuff thrown at my car because someone thought I'd cut him off making a turn. For some reason it was a beer can, but that didn't shatter my window and would be unlikely to have shattered the window unless it was sealed.

But his window clearly didn't break until he fired through it. The pattern starts right at the bullet hole and spreads out from there.

 

[JimMIA]

The only road rage I have experienced is in Miami. In the rental car parking deck at MIA.

I have also never heard the horn used as much anywhere else. Does Miami teach their drivers to use their knees so that both hands are available for the horn?

That's actually a relatively recent phenomenon. I don't think we can blame it on Covid, but it's only been happening for the last 3-4 years. It's actually become an art form. When a traffic light turns green, the horns blow before you can possibly move your foot from the brake to the accelerator!

Airports, and anywhere around airports are a problem everywhere. I tell my DD to always remember that at an airport -- except for the professional drivers who work there -- at least 50% of the people don't know where they're going, don't know where they are, and don't have any idea how to get from one unknown to the other. So you'll see lots of fancy driving anywhere around an airport -- sudden lane changes, sudden stops for no reason, etc.

 

[JimMIA]

..that is why never honk, never gesture, never tailgate.....don't engage.

Right.

The cure for tailgating is to simply ease the accelerator pressure to slow down 5 mph. It drives them crazy, but there are no childish brake-checks for them to get mad at. They eventually shift lanes and accelerate quickly, like, "Well...I guess I showed you!"

My experience with tailgaters though is that most of them are not being aggressive or angry. They are just driving well beyond their skill level and haven't learned yet what happens when the car in front of you stops.

 

[shh]

Florida is special lol. He probably going to do Stand Your Ground.

They were both dumb and lucky things didn’t get worse.

Him cutting someone off
Other guy looks like they pulled up close and if he tailedfated after was stupid.
Throwing anything out of a moving vehicle can be considered a projectile or missile and is illegal.
And then the idiot who set this in motion whipping out his gun and shooting like he was at MK riding Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger.

Ahh I-95 in South Florida. That's a thrill ride all its own - but unlike the parks, you may not make it out alive. Driving here is a whole other experience. There are far fewer police patrols on this portion of the interstate, compared to other sections of I-95 - it's sorta like the wild west, with many unlicensed/uninsured drivers - some carrying guns.

The papers run articles about the need for more police coverage all the time, but nothing much happens.

But it's mostly safe if one can drive defensively, rather than aggressively, avoid tailgating and absolutely resist any natural tendency to react to a road bully...just let it go, let them think they've "won" and they'll leave you alone.

I knew it must be bad, when hardened New Yorkers and Los Angeles drivers tell me they get intimidated driving here.

 

[bcla]

Ahh I-95 in South Florida. That's a thrill ride all its own - but unlike the parks, you may not make it out alive. Driving here is a whole other experience. Very few police patrols, compared to the rest of I-95 - it's sorta like the wild west. I knew it must be bad, when hardened New Yorkers and Los Angeles drivers get intimidated driving here.

It was a while ago, but I remember when I rented a car in Miami they went over everything because tourists are generally considered marked. They took out anything that indicated that it might be a rental car like the typical bar code stickers and only identify them via the license plate or VIN. I was advised to never to get out of my car and exchange information unless there was law enforcement present - even after a fender bender.

My rental car also had a restriction that I could only drive it in Florida. I've seen similar restrictions in other places, but in Seattle it was roughly all of Washington, Oregon, parts of British Columbia (Vancouver area and half of Vancouver Island), and Northern California down to maybe Santa Cruz. But Florida was find since Key West is still technically part of Florida even with some claiming it's the Conch Republic.

 

[JimMIA]

Ahh I-95 in South Florida. That's a thrill ride all its own - but unlike the parks, you may not make it out alive. Driving here is a whole other experience. There are far fewer police patrols on this portion of the interstate, compared to other sections of I-95 - it's sorta like the wild west, with many unlicensed/uninsured drivers - some carrying guns.

The papers run articles about the need for more police coverage all the time, but nothing much happens.

But it's mostly safe if one can drive defensively, rather than aggressively, avoid tailgating and absolutely resist any natural tendency to react to a road bully...just let it go, let them think they've "won" and they'll leave you alone.

I knew it must be bad, when hardened New Yorkers and Los Angeles drivers tell me they get intimidated driving here.

I-95 is FHP's jurisdiction, and the part of it between Golden Glades interchange and downtown really does not provide many places where a safe traffic stop can be made. Most of the way, it's 6-7 lanes in each direction with two of them being Express Lanes (which are a topic all to themselves!).

 

[MillauFr]

I-95 is FHP's jurisdiction, and the part of it between Golden Glades interchange and downtown really does not provide many places where a safe traffic stop can be made. Most of the way, it's 6-7 lanes in each direction with two of them being Express Lanes (which are a topic all to themselves!).

Why don't they just add speed enforcement cameras? As you said the police officer is risking his/her life everytime they pull some one over there. A needless risk to life.