INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis man who reportedly has a short fuse and a quick trigger finger was arrested after he allegedly opened fire on another driver on Interstate 70 following a brake check.
Dean A. Watson, 18, was arrested Monday after investigators used flock cameras to identify his vehicle and link him to the highway shooting. Watson is charged with several crimes, including attempted aggravated assault, a Level 3 felony; intimidation, a Level 3 felony; and pointing a firearm, a Level 6 felony.
According to court documents, Indiana State Troopers were called to the 55.2 mile marker near Monrovia at 8:18 p.m. on June 27 for a report of a shooting on a highway. When troopers arrived, they discovered a silver Saturn sedan on the side of I-70 with multiple bullet holes in the vehicle.
The driver told police he was traveling west on I-70 toward Paragon when a silver Saturn SUV in the left lane began to back up to his vehicle. Instead of pulling over, the driver admitted to giving the SUV the middle finger and performing a brake check. The SUV then moved into the right lane and accelerated to pass the victim.
As the SUV passed, the driver – later determined to be Watson – pointed a gun in the air and fired several shots. Watson then reportedly sped away, passing cars on the shoulder of the road.
Damage to the victim’s vehicle from the shooting included a flat front tire, forcing the victim to pull his Saturn onto the shoulder of I-70 and call the police.
ISP investigators used Flock traffic cameras to spot both the suspect’s Saturn SUV and the victim’s Saturn passenger car. After connecting the suspect’s SUV to Watson, investigators uncovered a recent court case in which Watson was accused of harassing a woman and threatening to shoot her, another woman, and their families.
ISP investigators spoke with the victim in this case, who told officers that Watson had “violent tendencies” and was known to possess multiple firearms. Investigators found several photos posted by Watson on social media in which he posed with firearms.
Court documents show investigators tracked Watson to his Indianapolis residences. Police eventually monitored Watson’s home until state troopers tracked him to a gas station on July 1, where he was arrested without incident. During a strip search, police found a loaded handgun on him.
According to court documents, the amount of ammunition missing from his gun’s magazine was equal to the number of bullets fired at the victim’s car.
Investigators spoke with Watson, who ultimately denied driving on I-70 the day of the shooting and firing his weapon at another driver in a DUI incident.
When police showed him photos of his Saturn Vue on I-70, Watson responded, “Wow…” after a “notable pause,” according to police.
When told that he matched the description of the suspected shooter, Watson reportedly replied, “Really?”
Watson finally asked for a lawyer and the interrogation ended.
