He pointed a shotgun on I-275, troopers say. More weapons were in his SUV

A Tampa man was arrested over the weekend after he pointed a firearm at another driver’s vehicle on southbound Interstate 275, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Michael Platts, 60, faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony.

The incident occurred around 7 a.m. Saturday south of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Manatee County, according to FHP. Troopers received a report of a driver in a Ford Expedition SUV pointing a rifle at another vehicle on the interstate.

Troopers located the Ford and made a traffic stop southeast of Bradenton at State Road 70 and 73rd Lane East.

Inside Platts’ SUV, troopers found a revolver and a semi-automatic pistol. There was also a loaded Remington 870 pump-action shotgun, a firearm which resembles a rifle.

Platts was arrested and booked into the Manatee County Jail on Saturday. He was released on Sunday after posting bail of $4,000.

This story was originally published May 10, 2021 at 2:42 PM.