A road rage incident taken to the extreme in Menomonee Falls sent one man to the hospital and another to jail. The Menomonee Falls Police Department said the close encounter was inches from taking a man’s life.
Menomonee Falls Police Captain Jeff Knop said one of men involved pulled out a gun and shot the other driver in the arm. Knop said it happened just before dusk on Friday night near a business district along Kaul Avenue. The man who allegedly pulled the trigger made his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.
“The bullet lodged in the victim’s arm, traveling up to his armpit area,” said a state attorney. “Mr. Becker did not call the police or stop to assist the victim and admitted he had been drinking before this incident.”
According to court records, Joshua Becker told police he was cut off by another driver and swerved around the vehicle. They allegedly met at a stop light, where words and gestures were exchanged and the two kept trying to pass each other along their route. Becker claimed the other driver tried to run him off the road. Becker told police he feared for his life, pulled out a gun and shot the 21-year-old Milwaukee man sitting in the other truck.
“Mr. Becker, in your favor you have no prior convictions, but if these allegations are true they are very concerning to the court,” said Waukesha County Court Commissioner Sara Scullen.
Knop says officers arrived a short time after the incident.
“Our investigation located a victim of a gunshot wound,” he said.
That victim was suffering on the ground. Knop said the scene showed exactly what shouldn’t happen on the road; hand gestures leading to unintended and dangerous consequences.
“Get a plate number from a vehicle that offended you in some way, get a description of the vehicle, get a description of the driver and then pull over to call the police department to report it,” said Knop.
Becker is being held on a $7,500 cash bond. The victim who was shot is hurt, but expected to recover.
