A slow driver sped into dangerous territory on Tuesday in a road rage incident in which the Brandon Township man assaulted a woman and pulled a gun on two men who stopped to help.
John David Lerke, 59, was arraigned Oct. 14 by 52-2 District Court Judge Joseph Fabrizio on five charges, including carrying a concealed weapon, a 5-year felony; firearm possession by a felon, a 5-year felony; assault with a dangerous weapon, a 4-year felony; interfering with an electronic communications device, a 2-year felony; and assault and battery, a 93-day misdemeanor.
‘If you get into any type of road rage incident, you should never stop and confront another driver because you have no idea what they are capable of or what they are carrying,? said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Greg Glover, Brandon substation commander. ‘In this case, not only did a young woman stop, but she had a child in the backseat of her car, putting not only herself, but the child in jeopardy.?
According to OCSO police reports, the incident began shortly before 10:30 a.m., Oct. 13, when a 21-year-old Brandon Township woman was traveling southbound on Sashabaw Road behind a Focus driven by Lerke at a ‘very slow rate of speed.? She attempted to pass the vehicle, but Lerke allegedly drove in the middle of both lanes making it impossible for her to pass. He stopped, got out of his vehicle and began yelling obscenities at her she said, and she also exited her vehicle, asking what his problem was. The woman said Lerke lifted his arm as if to hit her and she pushed him away. When she told him she was going to call her boyfriend, he grabbed her phone and threw it on the ground, then grabbed her by the neck and threw her to the ground, causing a scratch on the left side of her neck.
Two males, a father and son, drove up on this scene. The son told police he observed the man later identified as Lerke pushing the woman around and saw him throw her phone on the ground. He and his father exited the vehicle and told the male to calm down, at which time Lerke pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the younger man’s lower body. Lerke allegedly told the father and son he was legal to carry the gun and ‘would show them.?
The father told Lerke to holster his gun and told his son to get in their vehicle. The son told police Lerke had the gun out for approximately 30-45 seconds. During this time, the original victim got into her vehicle. The father and son got into their vehicle and called 9-1-1 and Lerke got into his vehicle. The two men followed the woman to the Independence Fire Department parking lot, where OCSO units met them. More OCSO deputies stopped the suspect at Pine Knob Road and Clarkston Road.
Prior to Lerke exiting his vehicle, he was observed making furtive movements, as if attempting to hide something under the front seat. Upon searching him, a small black semi-automatic handgun was found on his right hip in a holster, concealed under his shirt and jacket. The gun had a fully loaded magazine and live round in the chamber. Lerke also had a hand-held spring-loaded weapon with a sharp tip on it? when the buttoon is pressed, a spear comes out approximately 4 inches. Another loaded magazine for the gun was located under the driver’s seat.
Lerke was interviewed at the Brandon substation and said the woman was following too close, so he tapped his brakes and slowed down. He said she passed him and began hitting the brakes in front of him and then pulled over and stopped. He said he stopped as well and she exited the vheicle and was yelling at him. He said he then exited his vehicle was was yelling at her. He said she struck him on the right side of his face with her phone and repeaatedly swung at him as he raised his arms to block her. No marks were observed on him.
He denied hitting or pushing her and when asked about the scratch on her neck, said he may have done that while she was swinging at him, but didn’t intentionally strike her. He said he pulled his gun after one of the men that stopped got a tire iron out of their vehicle. He denied pointing it at anyone. He said the spring-loaded weapon was a letter opener and that the firearm belongs to his son and he was carrying it because he believed someone he testified against years ago was looking for him. He said that as an ‘ex-con? he knew he wasn’t supposed to have a firearm. Lerke’s son was contacted and said he does own the Kel-Tec firearm and he keeps several firearms at his father’s house because he has a young child and doesn’t want them in the residence.
Lerke’s criminal history includes multiple weapons violations, breaking and entering, and felony assaults, including on a police officer.
Glover praised the men who stopped to help the woman, noting that it is not common for citizens to assist stranded motorists these days, nor to interfere in such a volatile situation. While he said it speaks highly of the character of these men, he adds it could have ended much differently.
‘In this incident, the motorist that stopped to assist the young woman had a weapons permit, but didn’t have the weapon on him at the time,? said Glover. ‘If he would have, we probably would have had a shooting. Most of the time, if you have a weapon and someone draws on you, you will draw back. It could have been a bad day.?
Lerke was issued a $15,000, 10 percent cash surety bond.