Somerset Mercer County Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest said the incident appears to have been a classic case of "road rage"
MONTGOMERY A Montgomery resident was indicted on three counts of bias intimidation, unlawful possession of an imitation firearm and "terroristic threats" Thursday, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
The indictment of John Memmel, 34, of Sycamore Lane was the result of an incident that allegedly occurred on Route 206 in Montgomery Township on July 14, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Somerset Mercer County Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest said the incident appears to have been a classic case of "road rage," which evolved into Mr. Memmel pointing an imitation handgun at two African-American Trenton residents, who were traveling south on Route 206 with their small children, according to the prosecutor’s office.
At approximately 8:20 p.m. July 14, the victim and his family, while driving south on Route 206 in Montgomery Township, were cut-off by the Mr. Memmel and then pursued by him until they reached the intersection of routes 206 and 518, according to the prosecutor’s office. At this point the Mr. Memmel allegedly pulled into the left-turn lane alongside of the victims’ vehicle. Mr. Memmel rolled down his passenger-side window and while using racial epithets, threatened to shoot the victims, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The victims were able to elude Mr. Memmel by driving off Route 206 and through a closed gas station. Mr. Memmel, however, located the victims and continued to pursue them into Princeton Township and Princeton Borough, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The Princeton Borough Police were contacted by three off-duty state police officers who saw Mr. Memmel’s erratic driving, according to the prosecutor’s office. The victims ultimately drove into the parking lot of the Police Department.
The Princeton police later stopped Mr. Memmel and charged him with driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage and possession of an imitation firearm, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The imitation handgun had the appearance of an actual semi-automatic handgun and had an operational laser sight, according to the prosecutor’s office. The imitation firearm is a Lorcin Model Air-Gun, series 2000, M38-9. The imitation handgun originally had an orange tip, however it had been painted over in black to match the color of the handgun.
Bias intimidation is a crime of the second degree, punishable by up to 10 years incarceration; terroristic threats are third-degree crimes, punishable by up to five years; and possessing an imitation firearm is a fourth-degree crime, punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, according to the prosecutor’s office.