Palmetto police charge motorist with firing gun at other vehicle in road rage

PALMETTO -- A St. Petersburg man who shot at another driver at least three times in an act of road rage about 7:15 a.m. Wednesday has been arrested, according to Palmetto police.

Arlan Osborne Jr., 29, is charged with aggravated assault and discharging a firearm into a moving vehicle, according to the news release.

The altercation began on U.S. 41 north of Palmetto when one motorist reportedly cut off another while southbound on U.S. 41. They began to yell at one another.

As they approached DeSoto Bridge, Osborne shot at the other vehicle, police said.

Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler said it was unclear who cut off whom.

"Regardless to who cut who off, it does not justify shooting at one another," Tyler said.

A 42-year-old Riverview man driving one car and his 37-year-old wife were not injured, but their vehicle was struck by at least three bullets, according to the release. The couple crossed the bridge into Bradenton and pulled into Wawa in the 600 block of First Street to call police.

Police put out an alert for law enforcement to be on the lookout for the vehicle based on the victims' description. Within minutes, deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office saw the vehicle and Osborne at a 7-Eleven store in Tallavast, where he was arrested.

Deputies recovered a handgun from his vehicle, police said.

Osborne was held without bond at the Manatee County jail.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Palmetto police charge motorist with firing gun at other vehicle in road rage ."