CT man charged with menacing in road rage incident

A Harwinton man was charged after he threatened another driver with a gun during a road rage incident Thursday, state police said.

Kenneth Mack, 64, is charged with second-degree breach of peace and first-degree menacing by displaying a firearm, according to Connecticut State Police.

At approximately 2:37 p.m. Thursday, Troop L in Litchfield received a report of a road rage incident in the area of ​​Route 4 and Berg Park Road in Harwinton. Initially, the adult who called 911 expressed that he did not want to meet the trooper, state police said.

Due to these allegations, troopers contacted the complainant, who agreed to meet with state police to provide more information about the incident.

The complainant explained that they were traveling in their vehicle behind a red or maroon Dodge Ram pickup truck on Route 4 in Harwinton, approaching Berg Park Road, when the pickup truck suddenly stopped. The complainant told troopers they were able to avoid hitting the pickup truck, and said they saw the pickup truck driver making hand gestures out the window, according to state police.

The complainant said the two vehicles resumed traveling on Route 4 when the pickup truck driver checked on them several times. The complainant then claimed that the pickup truck driver raised his gun and pointed it out the window in his direction. The complainant provided investigators with a detailed description of the pickup truck, including its license plate number and a description of the driver, state police said.

Troopers learned the license plate number was linked to a red Dodge Ram pickup truck registered to Mack. A second investigation revealed that Mack’s driver’s license photo was consistent with the description of the driver provided by the complainant, according to state police.

A trooper then went to Mack’s home and saw a pickup truck matching the description parked in the driveway, state police said. Shortly thereafter, State Police contacted Mack at the home, where he was taken into custody in handcuffs.

Mack agreed to speak with investigators about the allegations and denied carrying a gun in his truck, according to state police. State police said he admitted to possessing firearms, including a rifle.

When asked about the alleged road rage incident, Mack told state police that an incident occurred involving an exchange of hand gestures and words only. Mack told investigators he felt compelled to defend himself, but did not provide further details, according to state police.

State police said the court authorized search warrants for Mack’s home and truck. During the search, two firearms were located and seized from Mack’s home, including a 12-gauge shotgun, according to state police.

Mack was placed under arrest and transported to Troop L, where he was processed and charged. He was held in lieu of $1 million bail and transported to the New Haven Correctional Center to await a court appearance scheduled for Friday in Torrington Superior Court.