A wild dash camera video captured the moment a Florida man opened fire on another vehicle while he was driving down the freeway in Miami. Authorities said the incident, which occurred on June 21, was the result of road rage sparked by the actions of the driver, 30-year-old Eric Popper.
They said that Popper cut off another driver, who honked their horn and started to tailgate him. The other driver, who was not identified, started making gestures out of the window of their car and then tried to pass Popper.
Popper then pulled a gun out of his center console and blindly fired multiple shots through his own windshield as the driver drove past him. Miraculously, nobody was hurt.
After the incident, Popper pulled over and called 911. He turned himself in and provided the dashcam video to investigators. He also resigned from his job as a civilian fire inspector with Miami Beach Fire Rescue.
Popper's lawyer, Robert Gershman, claims this his client was acting in self-defense and only started shooting because he believed the other driver fired first.
"On the video, you can hear and see the other driver shoot his car," Gershman told WPLG. "Upon hearing the sound, Mr. Popper then shoots back in self-defense, pulls over, and calls 911."
Officials did not recover a gun from the other vehicle and said the driver admitted that he threw a water bottle at Popper's SUV.
Popper has been charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault and firing a deadly missile.