(WEST FRIENDSHIP, MD) — Maryland State Police arrested an Ohio man this morning after brandishing a paintball pistol during an alleged road rage incident on I-70 in Howard County. 

The accused is identified as James Wells, 39, of Ohio.  After consultation with the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office, Wells was arrested on site and charged with first-degree assault.  He was transported to the Howard County Department of Corrections for processing.   

The victim told Maryland State Police from the Waterloo Barrack that at 9:30 a.m. today, he was traveling on I-70 West, west of the West Friendship Scale House. He called 9-1-1 and reported the driver of a blue Chevrolet passenger car pointed a firearm in his direction during a road rage incident. The victim was also able to provide police with a license plate number.  

Troopers from the Frederick Barrack located the suspect vehicle on westbound I-70 at MD-15 in Frederick where they conducted a subsequent traffic stop. During the course of the traffic stop, the driver, later identified as Wells, informed police that he pointed a paintball pistol (pictured below) at the victim.  Wells provided the loaded paintball pistol to police. He was arrested on the scene.