Buckeye police arrest armed road rage suspect

BUCKEYE, AZ (March 11, 2026): Buckeye police arrested a man for pulling a gun on another driver.

Around 1 p.m. yesterday, a woman reported she was in a parking lot near Watson Rd and Sundance Ave when the suspect, driving a Jeep Gladiator, began backing out of a spot, almost hitting her vehicle. After she honked her horn, the victim reported, the suspect got out of the Jeep, grabbed an AR-15 style rifle from his back seat and pointed it at her. The victim drove away and called 911.

Using resources from the Real Time Information Center including information from a license plate reader in the area (pictured here), Buckeye police were able to locate the suspect about two hours later in a shopping plaza across the street. The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Erik French, was arrested and booked into jail for disorderly conduct with a weapon. Officers seized the rifle.

If you are involved in a road rage incident, Buckeye police encourage you to do exactly what this victim did by leaving the area, getting to a safe place and immediately calling 911. Because of her actions, no one was hurt and officers were able to make a swift arrest.