Memphis Police said road rage in Midtown Memphis Sunday evening led a man to shoot and graze another man. Two men are now charged in the incident.
It happened a little after 6 p.m. Sunday on Peabody and Lemaster in Central Gardens. MPD said an off-duty officer saw the situation, pulled over, and apprehended the shooter before other officers arrived.
“It is crazy, this is a very nice neighborhood,” a witness told Local 24.
Police said the road rage between two drivers began at North Parkway and McLean and went through Central Gardens, ending in a fender bender at Peabody and Lemaster.
“So many people walk over there all the time, it’s busy, it’s a busy time of day and they were putting a lot of people in jeopardy, not just their own,” the witness said.
MPD said the driver a Ford Bronco fired one shot, grazing one of three people in the other car.
It all went down just feet from a sanctuary.
“It’s a Sunday and people are at church, for that to happen and an adult to do that to kids is pretty insane to me,” the witness said.
A passenger in Joe Tockey’s car told officers it started as road rage, and Christopher Shanklin slammed his brakes, causing Tockey to hit him. The passenger told officers Tockey then followed Shanklin to get his tag number, ramming Shanklin’s vehicle a few times, before they finally stopped at Poplar and Lemaster.
Shanklin told officers that Tockey rammed his vehicle initially, and he took off because he was fearful.
Shanklin is charged with 3 counts of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and violation of the vehicle registration law.
Tockey is charged with aggravated assault.
