A Florida cop is in trouble after he allegedly threatened a couple with his firearm during a road rage dispute. WFTV News reports that Lake County Sheriff’s deputy Thomas Thompson is accused of threatening to kill the couple during the incident. The 45-year-old deputy was ultimately arrested, and the resulting police report is interesting to say the least. That’s because this is another Florida story that involves food and violence.
According to the report, Deputy Thomas Thompson was using his personal vehicle when he reportedly pulled up on an unsuspecting couple who were trying to leave the Taco Bell parking lot in Mount Dora. The couple, identified as the Newcombs, were startled when Thompson allegedly brandished a firearm and told them that they ran two stop signs, and that he was a cop. He was also reportedly using what appeared to be fake sirens.
Apparently the Newcombs didn’t believe that the deputy was telling the truth, because he reportedly “yelled” at the Florida cop before continuing to drive away. That’s when deputy Thompson reportedly began swerving his vehicle and declaring that he would shoot the couple if they did not stop.
Charles Newcomb threw a burrito at the officer’s car before pulling into a parking lot to call 911. Of course, there are no explanations being reported about why the man threw the burrito. After all, this is hardly an adequate weapon to use when someone is brandishing an actual firearm at you.
WPXI News reports that Thompson gave arresting officers a different story from what Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb had told. In fact, he claimed that they had thrown something at his vehicle and he was checking to see if they were okay. However, when authorities searched his car — which was fitted with a siren — they found a gun matching the description given by the Newcombs.
Deputy Thompson was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and “improper exhibition of a firearm,” which is another way to say he waved it around when he shouldn’t have.
This isn’t the first Florida cop to get caught up in a road rage incident. This also isn’t the first Florida story to involve food being thrown. Just this week, it was reported that a Florida woman socked her mom in the face and poured tea on her after arguing over a plate of fried chicken and biscuits. Earlier this year a Miami-Dade police officer was arrested after he shot at another officer during a road rage meltdown. No burritos were harmed in this incident, however.
Photo: police mugshot/Deputy Thomas Thompson
