Manchester man arrested for gun demonstration on West Hartford Highway

WEST HARTFORD, Connecticut – A Manchester man was arrested after displaying a firearm during a driving aggression incident in West Hartford Thursday morning, according to Connecticut State Police.

Kewon Rondell Banks, 32, is charged with first-degree menacing – pointing a firearm – and second-degree breach of the peace – violent/threatening behavior.

State Police Troop H – Hartford said they received a report from a driver on westbound Interstate 84 near Exit 43 around 7:22 a.m. Thursday that another driver had pulled out a gun.

When a police officer responding to the incident met with the plaintiff to begin the investigation, the plaintiff said they were driving in the left lane when a Nissan Altima allegedly swerved between lanes before unsafely moving into the left lane in front of them.

The plaintiff said when they honked, the male driver of the Altima slammed on his brakes. The plaintiff made a hand gesture to the driver of the Altima, and the driver pointed a gun at them through the driver's side window, according to state police.

The plaintiff stated that they kept their distance from the Altima to avoid further conflict, but the driver of the Altima moved into the middle lane and gestured for them to park their vehicle next to his, state police said.

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The plaintiff continued to move his vehicle away from the Altima, and the Altima continued on I-84 West. State police say the plaintiff gave the trooper the defendant's vehicle description, license plate number, a description of the driver, and a description of the firearm.

The trooper determined that the Altima was a rental car and that the renter was listed as Banks. State police went to Banks' residence in Manchester but were unable to locate him.

Someone who was at home called Banks so the police could speak with him. During the conversation, Banks said he was at work but agreed to meet with the police.

The two parties met shortly afterward, according to state police. Banks admitted to using his firearm during the incident because he thought the other driver might be reaching for something. Banks' gun was still in the vehicle and was later found and seized as evidence.

After the investigation was completed, Banks was arrested and transported to Troop H, where he was arraigned. State police said Banks was released on $5,000 bail and will be arraigned in Superior Court in Hartford on Oct. 9.

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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected].

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