Athens Man Accused of Pointing Gun in Oconee County Road Rage Incident

An Athens man faces a charge of aggravated assault in Oconee County for allegedly pointing a handgun toward two men while driving along Ga. 316 Sunday evening.

The two men, one from Madison and one from Watkinsville, told Oconee County Sheriff's deputies that around 6 p.m. they saw a man speeding east in a white Chevy Blazer on Ga. 316 near Pete Dickens Road. According to the incident report, the victims said the Blazer nearly struck them as it passed, and that it weaved in the roadway in front of them.

They told deputies they tried to catch up to the vehicle to get the license plate number when "the vehicle braked heavily, slowed down, pulled up next to their vehicle, and the driver pointed small black .380 or 9mm handgun at them while giving them the finger" before speeding away.

When deputies found the suspect at Quiktrip and told him about the complaint, he reportedly denied everything. He told them he did have a black .380 handgun but that he had not pointed it at anyone. He also said he did not have any altercation with the two men.

The victims arrived and identified the suspect and vehicle, according to the report, and they were also able to provide a description of the handgun.

Harrison Livingston Martin, 25, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault.

Deputies also conducted sobriety tests on Martin after observing "a strong odor of alcoholic beverages coming from his breath and person." 

A deputy wrote in the report that Martin had "bloodshot and watery eyes and a thick film of white spittle at the corners of his mouth." Though Martin refused a breath test, he was charged with DUI, because "Martin's performance on the Standardized Field Sobriety were also consistent with a person under the influence of alcohol," the deputy wrote.

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