A 19-year-old Dunnellon man was arrested this past Thursday night after he allegedly chased a vehicle carrying four people, tried to run it off the road several times before forcing it to stop, and then pointed a gun at the occupants.
Chad Alan Stimpson was charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and single counts of simple battery, criminal mischief with damage between $200 and $1,000, child neglect without great bodily harm, and obstructing justice by intimidating or threatening a witness.
The victim told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that she got into an argument with Stimpson over the use of a swimming pool. She said Stimpson got mad and swung a plastic chair at her. She said she feared for her life and blocked the chair with her forearm, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim said Stimpson then grabbed her arm and hit her in the face with it. She said he then took her cell phone to keep her from using it to call law enforcement. The victim said Stimpson eventually gave the phone back to her and she contacted her mother and stepfather to ask them to pick up her and a juvenile victim, the report said.
The victims said as they were trying to leave the incident location in a van, Stimpson tried to stop them by parking a red GMC SUV in front of them. They said they backed up and fled the area, with Stimpson following them, according to the report.
The victims said Stimpson cut off the van multiple times, causing them to run off the road. They said Stimpson’s vehicle hit the left-front bumper of the van, causing about $800 in damage. All the occupants of the van said they were in fear for their lives. The deputy observed damage to the van that coincided with the victims’ statements, the report said.
The victims said at one point, Stimpson drove his vehicle in front of the van and slammed on the brakes to stop them from moving. They said he got out of the vehicle and pointed a black and silver firearm at them. The victims continued on Highway 40 until they arrived at Duffy’s Bar, where they called law enforcement, according to the report.
Stimpson was detained at the incident location. He said he accidentally smashed the victim’s hand with the chair and admitted to following the van, but he denied hitting it with his vehicle. Stimpson said the driver of the van tried to hit him. He also said he didn’t point a gun at anyone, the report said.
Stimpson then showed a deputy a firearm that he has that matched the description given by the victims. It was a black and silver Taurus located under Stimpson’s grandmother’s pillow.  The victims were unable to confirm it was the one he pointed at them, according to the report.
Stimpson was taken to jail without incident. He was released Saturday on $19,000 bond and is due to appear in Marion County Court on Dec. 17.