Judge sends radio host’s charges to grand jury
The case of a Chattanooga radio host facing charges that he instigated a road rage incident that led to him being shot in the arm is headed to a Hamilton County grand jury.
After a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Hamilton County General Sessions Court, Judge Gary Starnes found probable cause for Jeff Styles’ vandalism and aggravated assault charges and sent them to the next stage of the criminal justice process.
If a grand jury returns an indictment, Styles’ case will continue on to Hamilton County Criminal Court, where attorneys will work toward a settlement, dismissal or trial in connection with the June 15 incident.
The WGOW host has been placed on leave.
Police said Styles swung a tomahawk into driver Nickolas Bullington’s window while they were stopped at the intersection of Highway 153 and Grubb Road around 4 p.m. Police said Bullington shot Styles with a pistol and then left to find a safe place to call authorities. Bullington had seen Styles driving aggressively on Highway 27, police said, and a witness backed up his account.
In a statement issued through his attorney, Lee Davis, Styles said he was acting out of self-defense.
Styles said the incident started on Highway 111 when he tried to pass a slow-moving semi tractor trailer and Bulling ton drove up behind him at an excessive speed. Styles said he “raised his hand” to tell Bullington to back off. In response, Styles said, Bullington flipped him “a bird,” followed him between lanes and then made a “gunfiring motion” with his hand as he drove beside Styles.
The incident further escalated, Styles said, when Bullington brandished a handgun as he drove behind Styles. Bullington followed him onto Highway 27, Styles said, and then down the Highway 153 ramp, pointing to the weapon in his lap.
At that point, “convinced that Bullington was going to pull up beside him and shoot him, Styles grabbed his military-grade tomahawk and jumped out of his vehicle,” attorney Davis wrote in the statement.
“Simultaneously, Bullington pointed his handgun at Styles and Styles swung once at Bullington’s driver-side window,” Davis wrote. “Bullington fired his gun, hitting Styles in the right arm.”
According to news reports from Channel 9, Judge Starnes didn’t consider Styles getting out of his vehicle with a tomahawk to be self defense and said he was amazed Bullington didn’t kill him.