Lynn man facing charges after police interrupt 'road rage' in downtown Salem

Feb. 4—SALEM — A "road rage" incident in downtown Salem Thursday evening led to a 20-minute shutdown of Washington Street and a Lynn man facing an assault charge, police said.

Andrew Kim, 30, was arrested on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon after allegedly pointing a 9 mm Walther Arms handgun at another driver during the incident, which was interrupted when the other driver flagged down a patrol officer who happened to be driving by, said Capt. John Burke, the department's spokesman.

Burke said the officer noticed two vehicles stopped on Washington Street, holding up traffic, in the area of several restaurants and City Hall around 5:42 p.m., then saw a man standing near one of them, a GMC Sierra SUV, flagging her down.

He yelled over that the man in the other vehicle, a 2010 Ford Crown Victoria, had pulled a gun on him.

The officer called for backup and then approached the driver of the Ford, later identified as Kim. She asked if he had a gun, and when he didn't answer and put his car into gear, she went back to her police car, anticipating that he was about to flee, Burke said. Backup officers arrived and ordered Kim out of his car and onto the ground.

Kim told the officers that the gun was under the front seat, where they found it.

The other driver told police that Kim had been flicking his lights and tailgating him, so he decided to stop and speak with him.

Kim, after being read his rights, told officers that he had just "flicked his lights" at the other driver, who he said cut him off. He said he grabbed his gun because he was afraid that the other driver was about to assault him when he got out of the SUV and approached, but denied pointing it at anyone.

A witness corroborated the other driver's account, however, and Kim was arrested.

Police also confiscated Kim's gun and his license to carry while the matter is pending. Kim was released on personal recognizance and is due in Salem District Court on Monday for arraignment, Burke said.

Burke said that while the driver of the GMC is not facing charges, it is never a good idea to confront an aggressive driver under any circumstances.

"Our general advice is keep calm and realize that any situation has the potential to escalate," Burke said. "You don't know who the other driver is and what weapons they might possess."

Police stopped traffic on Washington Street, one of the city's main arteries, for about 20 minutes while they handled the incident.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis