DENVER— Dash-camera video shows a man run a driver off the road in a road rage incident in Denver.
James made sure his camera was rolling when the situation escalated. He did not want to use his last name or go on camera out of fear.
“He just grabbed my door handle and tried to open my door,” James told the 911 dispatcher. “He is trying to run me off the road. His license plate is...”
The incident happened on Feb. 25, around 9 a.m., off Federal Boulevard and Colfax Avenue.
In the video, you see the driver cut off James and jump out with his hands in the air.
“He just wanted me out of the car and that he is going to kill me, that he is going to beat my butt,” James said. “There was a lot of ‘go back to Mexico’ talk.”
He says it all started when the driver cut him off, and he honked and drove around him.
“Every time I would start driving, he would try to drive me out the road, and there is consequences for your actions,” James said.
The driver eventually gets back in his car and leaves the scene.
James says he met with a police officer who refused to take a police report and then drove down to the Denver Police Department District 3 Substation to press charges.
“Here you have a guy trying to run me off the road, grabbing my door and trying to open it, blocking me and they said because I wasn’t injured, they just weren’t going to do anything,” James said.
Christine Downs, a spokesperson with the Denver Police Department, said they are investigating the case.
“It appears that there was maybe some aggression, but as far as what was illegal and what wasn’t, we are looking into that,” she said.
She strongly recommends drivers caught in a road rage incident to breathe and avoid any gestures and eye contact to help diffuse the situation.
“Be a good witness don’t get involved, don’t get out of your car. Get information such as the license plate vehicle, description of the driver,” Downs said.
If the situation gets out of control, call 911 and file a police report, she added.
James said he tried to leave the scene, warned the driver he had a dashcam, called 911 and filed a police report, but felt like he was treated like a “joke” at the police station.
He hopes by sharing his story, Denver police will take his concerns seriously.
Denver7 is working with James to submit a request for the full 911 call.