INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man is under arrest for a road rage shooting on the west side of Indianapolis in February.
According to court documents, the victim was driving on West 56th Street toward Interstate 465 on Feb. 10 when Bernard Oakley Jr. tried to cut him off.
Police said a review of surveillance video shows the victim honking his horn and then can be heard shouting at Oakley. Police said the driver's window on Oakley's car can then be seen going down as he gets next to the victim's car, and a shot was heard.
"Went over to merge, heard gunfire," said Ryan Powers, who was shot three times. "Then he drove around the right side of my vehicle, the passenger side. He was like this on the driver's side window. I couldn't see his chin or anything, but I saw the gun right next to his face."
Powers chased after Oakley's car, and the two cars can be seen turning around at the entrance of a nearby complex when more shots are heard.
Police said Powers continued to chase after Oakley before realizing how badly he was wounded and stopped at West 56th Street and Lafayette Road.
Powers told police he had damage to his intestines from the shooting and needs to use a wheelchair during his recovery.
When police interviewed Oakley, he allegedly told them a driver had refused to let him get over to get on the highway. He said Powers flipped him off and cussed him out. Oakley said he then fired a shot in the air and drove away. He said Powers then came driving after him and that made him "fearful for his safety." According to court documents, Oakley claims when he was turning around at an apartment complex, he thought "the person was waiting to attack him."
Oakley originally told police he fired several more shots in the air, but police said it appeared he was pointing the gun at the other car.
Detectives arrested Oakley Wednesday.
"When I originally found out they caught him, I had cold chills," Powers said. "Just a whole entire weight released from me because I don't deserve this."
Powers is expected to make a full recovery, but he knows there's a long road of recovery ahead.
"That's what I'm worried about the most. That this is going to limit me from supporting my family and being me," Powers said.
At the time this article was published, no formal charges had been filed against Oakley.
Powers' family set up a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses.