Bothell man convicted of pulling gun on woman during Kirkland road-rage incident
By CARRIE RODRIGUEZ
Kirkland Reporter Editor
December 5, 2012 · Updated 5:00 PM
A Bothell man was found guilty on Monday of pulling out a gun during a Kirkland road-rage incident in April.
A jury found Phillip Warren Baxter, 64, guilty on one count of second-degree assault during his trial in King County Superior Court.
His sentencing is set for Dec. 19 and he faces three to ninth months in jail.
The victim in the case claimed that Baxter pulled his vehicle in front of her car in Kirkland’s Juanita neighborhood the morning of April 10. She said his car was driving at a speed of 15 mph in a 35-mph zone, according to charging documents.
She admitted to following the driver closely as she hoped he would speed up. But the woman claims Baxter slammed on the brakes and forced her into another lane to avoid hitting his car, and she proceeded around his vehicle.
When the woman stopped for a red light, Baxter pulled up beside her and both drivers rolled their windows down, the documents continue.
The drivers yelled at each other and Baxter displayed a loaded .38 caliber revolver and pointed the gun at the woman, according to the documents. The woman claimed he shook the gun at her like someone would “shake their finger at someone who did something wrong.”
A Washington State Patrol trooper later stopped Baxter based on the woman’s report of the license-plate number and recovered the gun in a holster on Baxter’s hip.
Contact Kirkland Reporter Editor Carrie Rodriguez at editor@kirklandreporter.com or 1-425-822-9166 (ext 5050).
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