BB gun at heart of road rage case

COEUR d’ALENE — A Rathdrum man charged with aggravated assault for allegedly pointing an air pistol at a motorist is out of jail on a $25,000 bond.

At his first court appearance on the felony charge, Samuel Haney, 20, asked First District Magistrate Judge Timothy L. Van Valin to reduce bond because Haney has lived in North Idaho all his life and has a job, which will prevent his absconding.

“I have always paid my fines, I have no failures to appear, I have no violent charges up to this point. I just want to bail out,” said Haney, who sported a beard and fade haircut with his orange jail jumper.

For Van Valin, however, a substantial bond reduction was not a favorable option.

“The allegation is extremely dangerous, and smacks of road rage,” Van Valin said. “It’s one thing to get out and yell at somebody. It is quite another thing to get out and do what the allegations speak to.”

The circumstances could have quickly broiled into violence, Van Valin said.

“If the guy came out with a weapon, you might as well have brought a knife to a gunfight,” Van Valin said to Haney.

According to police, Haney was traveling north on Spokane Street in Post Falls when he said another vehicle started tailgating his silver Cavalier. He abruptly stopped and when the other vehicle passed him, Haney said he flipped off the tailgater. He said he had not pointed a weapon, but his extended middle finger may have looked like one.

The man in the other car told police that Haney pointed a silver firearm at him. The pistol had a 4- to- 6-inch barrel and looked like a .357 Magnum revolver, the man said.

When Haney was arrested he denied having a firearm. He told police he only had a BB gun. Officers found the silver, faux 30-caliber-like BB pistol under a bag on the passenger side of Haney’s car, according to a police report.

“From the distance of 3 to 4 feet it could not be determined if the pistol was genuine or a toy,” Post Falls Police Officer Jason DeWitt wrote in his report. “The barrel was open and no markings were found to indicate the pistol was a toy.”

The alleged victim told police, “I felt my life was immediately in danger.”

Officers also found a case of Coors Banquet beer in Haney’s car. He faces an additional charge of being a minor in possession of alcoholic beverages.

Van Valin opted Thursday to reduce bond from $35,000, as prosecutors recommended, to $25,000. Haney bonded out the same day. His next hearing has not been set.