Road Frightening Incident

A Texas woman in town visiting relatives was arrested by police on Saturday, July 3, 2021, after she allegedly fired her weapon at another motorist. Yeshikya Williams said she was heading to West Monroe on I-20 when she saw an individual driving in an unsafe manner. Williams, who had her three children with her, quickly passed the vehicle and exited at Thomas Road in West Monroe, LA. According to Williams, an unidentified White man began to use profane words, accusing Williams of pulling in front of him at a traffic light. Williams asked the man not to use obscene words because of her children. After that moment, the man appeared to reach down in his vehicle as if he was reaching for something. Williams drove off with the man driving in the lane next to her. Williams said that the individual drove his vehicle towards hers, as if he was trying to force her off of the road. There were other vehicles in front of and behind them. Williams shared that she could not safely change lanes, as the man kept driving very close to her vehicle. By this time, Williams said that she was in fear of her life because there wasn't any way for her to get away from the individual who was harassing her. Williams had a registered gun that she was licensed to carry in her vehicle, and at that moment, fired a shot, believing she had no other choice. Throughout the entire incident, the man did not engage with any other motorist except her. The man sped away after Williams fired her weapon, and she pulled into the parking lot in front of Academy Sports. Several other motorists stopped in the parking lot with Williams telling her that they witnessed what had happened. West Monroe police officers arrived, interviewed Williams, and decided to take her to the police station even after witnesses who were with Williams told the officers of what happened. Williams said that officers told her that "she was not in danger" and that she was going to be arrested. She was taken to Ouachita Correctional Center(OCC), where she was charged with two felony charges of aggravated assault with a firearm. Williams was released midday Sunday, July 4, 2021. She has a pending court date. Williams has many questions around the incident; what about her rights as a person registered to carry a licensed firearm and ability to use it in a "stand your ground" state? Williams knew nothing about the individual who suddenly verbally abused her and then tried, she believed, to run her off of the road. She asserts that not only was she in fear of her life, but of the lives of her children, who were also frightened by what was happening. When the individual reached down in his vehicle, Williams said she didn't know what to expect next. There were witnesses to corroborate her story, but she ended up in jail with two felony charges. Some people have used their weapons against other individuals, who have said they used their guns in self-defense and are not facing charges. Police officers across this nation have killed people when they say that an individual "reached/appeared to reach for something", causing them to use deadly force because they "were in fear" of their lives. A lack of convictions supports their actions. The community wants to know who determines when the danger exists, and why don't witnesses' testimonies qualify in a case like this. We are living in perilous times when one doesn't know if he/she will be the next victim of a violent act. We can only hope that justice will prevail for all.