Cops: Warren man shoots at car in road rage case
A Warren motorist is charged with felony assault after police say he fired a handgun and hit a woman’s car in a Hazel Park road rage incident.
Suspect Richard Kovacik, 57, was arraigned Wednesday in Hazel Park 43rd District Court on a charge of assault with intent to cause great bodily harm less than murder and his bond set at $10,000 cash.
Kovacik is accused of using a Glock 10mm handgun when police said he fired a single shot through his open passenger window and struck the roof of a Detroit woman’s Buick on John R Road south of Nine Mile Road.
Hazel Park police got a call at 2:40 p.m. Monday from the Detroit woman, 27, right after the shooting.
“She said she was shot at by another driver having a road rage,” said Hazel Park Police Chief Brian Buchholz.
The woman and Kovacik, driving a GMC pickup, first encountered each other when they both turned north onto John R from Eight Mile Road.
Heading north on John R, Buchholz said the woman told police Kovacik was traveling in front of her where the road has a single northbound lane.
“The victim said she kept having to stop quickly,” Buchholz said. “Once they got to where there are two north lanes, she pulled up to pass the suspect and they exchanged words.”
Police said the woman threw a plastic bottle of bathroom cleaner out of her window at the suspect’s vehicle.
That’s when police said Kovacik pulled out a gun and shot at the woman’s car, hitting her roof rack and part of the roof.
The woman sped away and called police from a gas station.
“She gave us a good description of the vehicle and the suspect,” Buchholz said. “We were able to ID the (suspect) vehicle and the owner.”
Police said the woman picked the suspect out from a photo lineup, and investigators went to Kovacik’s house and spoke to him.
Officers recovered a Glock handgun used in the shooting from the suspect.
The weapon was registered to Kovacik and he had a concealed pistol license for the gun, Buchholz said
“It doesn’t make sense,” he said of the road rage shooting, “for someone of the suspect’s age with no criminal history to temporarily lose his mind and try shooting at someone.”
Kovacik is due back in Hazel Park 43rd District Court for a probable cause conference at 1 p.m., Nov. 29.
The charge against him is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.