Man arrested after firing gun 9 times at vehicle in road rage incident on I-15, police say
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The following is a news release from Idaho State Police.
POCATELLO — Idaho State Police Troopers were dispatched to a reported road rage incident Tuesday morning that resulted in shots being fired on northbound Interstate 15 near Pocatello. A Utah man was arrested and charged in connection with the incident. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.
The incident began at 8:09 a.m. when Idaho State Police Troopers were dispatched to the area of I-15 near milepost 67 in Pocatello for a report of shots being fired from a white pickup. According to a witness, the driver of white GMC Sierra pickup traveling on Interstate 15 northbound came up quickly behind a Toyota Matrix sedan being driven by a Pocatello man.
According to reports, when the pickup driver, later identified as Christian Heskett, 22, of West Jordan, Utah, came upon the slower vehicle, he fired approximately nine rounds from the pickup toward the driver of the Toyota. One round struck the victim’s vehicle, breaking the driver’s window and going through the ballcap the driver was wearing. The victim suffered minor injuries from the breaking glass of his window, but was otherwise unhurt. He called 911 to report the incident.
The suspect continued driving north on I-15 where witnesses say he came quickly upon the driver of another pickup and reportedly displayed a firearm at that driver, also a man from Pocatello. That driver was able to follow the suspect’s vehicle, call 911, and report to dispatchers the suspect’s location.
The suspect was located in his vehicle near the Fort Hall Casino. His vehicle was found with bullet holes through the windshield. The suspect was found in possession of a rifle and two handguns. He was taken into custody without incident. This incident remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police. Additional charges are possible.
Heskett is charged with aggravated battery by use of a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Bannock County Jail and the investigation is ongoing.
Fort Hall Police were instrumental in taking the suspect into custody.