A Philadelphia man is pleading guilty to a road rage incident in Abington that ended in gunfire

NORRISTOWN – A Philadelphia man may face an extended prison sentence for assault in a road rage incident that ended in gunfire in Abington Township.

Scott Thomas, 23, of the 5500 block of Ardleigh Street, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the April 5, 2023, traffic dispute in which another man suffered a minor laceration from one Shot in the hip.

Judge Thomas C. Branca postponed Thomas’ sentencing until later this year.

Thomas, who is represented by defense attorney Shaka Mzee Johnson, could face several months in prison as well as an obligation to pay compensation to the victim. The assault charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 10 years of court supervision.

With the aggravated assault charge, prosecutors alleged that Thomas attempted or knowingly caused bodily harm to another person with a deadly weapon, specifically a loaded .40-caliber Glock semi-automatic handgun.

The investigation began at approximately 8:23 a.m. on April 5, 2023, when Abington Police responded to the area of ​​1575 The Fairway in the Jenkintown neighborhood and received a report of a shooting in the street.

“Officers located the victim outside of his van. The victim had a laceration to his forehead and a laceration to his right hip. “The injuries did not appear to be serious,” Abington Detective Robert Hill Jr. wrote in the affidavit.

The victim said he was traveling northbound on the Fairway when a white van passed him on the passenger side of his van and then stopped in front of his vehicle, forcing him to stop. The victim told police that the driver of the van, later identified as Thomas, got out of the van and approached the driver’s side of the victim’s truck.

“The victim stated that the man shouted profanities at him and began to put his hand in his pocket. The victim stated the suspect then pulled a handgun from his pocket and pointed it at him,” Hill alleged in the criminal complaint.

“The victim jumped down from his elevated seat and the now open driver’s door and grabbed the suspect. During the argument, the victim was hit in the forehead with the pistol by the suspect. The suspect then fired a bullet from his handgun, striking the victim in his right hip,” Hill added.

Investigators examined the victim’s clothing and noticed what appeared to be a bullet hole in the victim’s belt, court records show. Investigators said it appeared the bullet passed through the victim’s belt before “causing a minor laceration to his right hip.”

At the scene, authorities recovered a .40-caliber casing and two Apple Air Pods that did not belong to the victim.

At 9:59 a.m., an employee at a nearby business reported to police that he observed a man driving a white work van in the area of ​​the previous shooting and he appeared to be scanning the ground for something. When police returned to the scene, they encountered Thomas, who admitted to being involved in the earlier altercation and was taken into custody, according to court documents.

Thomas told police that he had legal possession of the gun and that it was in his van. Thomas claimed he returned to the area to try to find his lost Air Pods.

When questioned by investigators, Thomas claimed he was “cut off by the victim’s truck while driving on the fairway” and that he drove in front of the victim’s truck and stopped his van, court documents said.

Thomas claimed he approached the driver’s side of the victim’s truck to speak to the victim about the incident and the victim yelled profanities at him.

According to court documents, Thomas claimed the victim jumped from his truck onto Thomas and a physical altercation ensued on the roadway.

“(Thomas) stated that he was pushed to the ground by the victim, causing his handgun to fall out of his pants pocket,” Hill wrote in the affidavit. “As (Thomas) picked up the gun, a round was accidentally fired.”

Thomas told investigators that he retreated to his van and left the area, claiming he did not know the victim had been hit by the bullet that was fired. Thomas admitted he did not call police to report the incident.

After reviewing security video from a nearby building and statements from the victim as well as Thomas and other witnesses, investigators concluded, “It is clear that (Thomas) initiated the altercation with the victim.”

The simple assault charge against Thomas is expected to be dismissed at sentencing.

Charges against Thomas of possession of a prohibited weapon and intentionally endangering another person were previously withdrawn at a lower court hearing.