An Orinda man confronted and punched during a road rage incident on a suburban street ended with his firing a fatal shot at his assailant will not face charges in connection with the incident, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
The fatal encounter occurred September 12, 2024 at a bend in the road near Las Vegas Road and La Espiral. A 72-year-old in a Tesla encountered and passed a Toyota 4Runner driven 50-year-old Scott Decker on St. Stephens Drive, Decker responding by accelerating and pulling in front of the Tesla, blocking its path.
It was then, investigators said, that Decker exited his vehicle and punched the driver three times in the face while the older man sat in his vehicle. The unnamed driver, a registered gun owner with a concealed carry permit,
retrieved a handgun from the car’s console and fired a single shot, striking Decker in the neck – the younger man staggering backward and falling in the street.
Emergency responders, alerted by homeowners who reported hearing the exchange, shouts and eventual shot
arrived and attempted lifesaving measures, but Decker was declared deceased at the scene.
The entire incident was captured on video by a camera in the driver’s Tesla, which he provided to law enforcement, and by area surveillance cameras.
In a released issued Wednesday, the District Attorney’s Office said that after a thorough review of the evidence and the circumstances of the assault on the driver, no charges will be filed in this case.
Because the guy passsed him on the road..
Good.
One bullet and so many lives changed forever.
So he’s just supposed to sit there, trapped in his car, and get beat by that road-rager or worse for passing the guy’s car? If that were you or your family member, you’d have taken the same self defense action as this old guy. I applaud the DA for their wise decision.
If that was me, a poor person driving a poor person car, I’d be facing death penalty charges.