A man accused of pointing a handgun at another driver following a road rage incident on Interstate 5 in Lewis County in January has been charged with second-degree assault in Lewis County Superior Court.
The charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Erik Gatz, 50, of Chehalis, was charged Feb. 18 and was issued a summons notice for a March 5 preliminary hearing, which he was present for.
He entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday.
Gatz is accused of brake-checking a vehicle that was following his vehicle too closely on I-5 in Lewis County on Jan. 31. The victim reportedly followed Gatz’s vehicle to a gas station near milepost 49 on state Route 6, where Gatz allegedly “jumped out of his vehicle and pulled out a handgun and pointed it at (the other driver),” according to court documents.
While Gatz reportedly “denied pointing his firearm at anyone,” video taken by a passenger in the victim’s vehicle allegedly “clearly captures Gatz get out of his truck, approach the vehicle occupied by (the victim) and pull out his handgun and point it directly at (the victim),” according to court documents.
While Judge Paul Strophy expressed some community safety concerns, all parties agreed Wednesday to allow Gatz to remain out of custody on his own personal recognizance for the duration of the case.
A pre-trial review hearing is scheduled for April 24.
