Driver is accused of pointing a gun at his family during a road rage incident in Ocala

A 30-year-old man was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly pointed a gun at another man and his child during a traffic accident in Ocala.

On Sunday, a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office made contact with the male victim who advised that he was traveling in his vehicle with his child on US Highway 27 when another vehicle, an older model gray pickup truck, appeared , pulled out in front of him, the arrest report states.

The victim stated that the driver of the pickup, later identified as Eric Djamjian, “gave him the middle finger.” After the victim responded with the same action, Djamjian allegedly escalated the traffic incident by brandishing a small 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

According to the victim’s statement, Djamjian “slowed down and then accelerated alongside him” while driving west on U.S. Highway 27. The victim claimed Djamjian pointed the gun at him and his child, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

Both the victim and his child told the officer that they feared for their lives during the incident.

The deputy utilized various “investigative resources” which led to the deputy identifying Djamjian as the registered owner of the pickup truck involved in the incident. The deputy then spoke with Djamjian by phone and agreed to meet with law enforcement at a local Dollar General store, according to the report.

At the store, the deputy read Djamjian his Miranda rights and he agreed to discuss the incident. He stated that the road rage incident began when the victim’s vehicle blocked his pickup truck from going around another vehicle on US Highway 27.

The deputy noted in the report that during the post-Miranda interview, Djamjian repeatedly changed his account of the incident in a “seemingly evasive manner.” He admitted to having a compact black 9mm semi-automatic pistol in his pickup truck that matched the victims’ description, but denied pointing the weapon at them during the incident.

Djamjian initially told the deputy that the handgun was “near the cup holders” in the pickup truck before explaining that it was “actually on the passenger side.” He then stated that he was holding the firearm on his lap when he accidentally dropped his cell phone on the floorboard. He also claimed he reached for his phone at one point while still holding the gun, according to the report.

Both victims reported to the Dollar General Store and positively identified Djamjian’s pickup truck as the vehicle involved in the road rage incident. The report said they were also able to describe Djamjian’s firearm in “near perfect detail.”

Djamjian was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he is currently being held on $10,000 bail. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

A court date has not yet been scheduled, according to jail records.