“I Whizzed One Past His Ear”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has publicly admonished an attorney who had “brandished and discharged his licensed firearm across a two-lane road” in the wake of a traffic accident.

According to the findings, he believed that the other driver was going to strike him and acted in self-defense.

He “fired the gun parallel to [the other driver’s] ear into grass and dirt across the road” and surrendered the weapon to the police.

They provided differing accounts to their interaction but Respondent said, in part

He didn’t back off so I whizzed one past his ear

He also admitted that he had brandished but not fired the gun in previous road incidents.

Respondent pled guilty to a disorderly persons offense, which he promptly reported to bar authorities.

To the bar, his position was

he was simply a citizen, with the absolute right to take action to avoid being injured

Sanction 

A public reprimand will impress upon Respondent and all members of the bar that failure to responsibly handle a firearm reflects poorly on Respondent as an attorney and the entire legal profession and road rage-like incident [sic] place the public, and police in unnecessary harm.

(Mike Frisch)