STAFFORD, Va. — A Virginia man has been charged with brandishing a hoax gun used to store cigarettes during a road rage incident near a Chick-Fil-A in Stafford County, officials said.
Deputies went to the area of Doc Stone Commons, a marketplace on Garrisonville Road, in the Stafford section of town for a report of a disturbance with a weapon complaint on Friday, Dec. 30, the Office of Stafford County Sheriff said in a Facebook post.
There, a woman told the deputies a man pointed a handgun at her during a road rage incident near the Chick-Fil-A, the sheriff's office said. The woman provided deputies with a detailed description of the man and the vehicle he was driving in.
Sergeant A.I. Assur and Deputy H. Rivera found the accused man in his vehicle traveling southbound on Richmond Highway. Assur and Rivera maintained surveillance as other deputies responded to assist with a high-risk traffic stop, authorities said.
Deputies stopped the driver in the 1500 block of Courthouse Road. The 'weapon-wielding' man was detained without incident, and the hoax handgun was located in the vehicle, according to the sheriff's office. The replica gun was being used for storing and lighting cigarettes.
The replica gun was seized as evidence. The man was arrested for brandishing but released on an unsecured personal recognizance bond, officials said.