Shocking video shows road rage  being shot after punching window in Indiana

By Edward Era Barbacena 

furious debate has erupted after a court threw out charges against an Indiana driver who repeatedly shot one motorist and injured another in a near-deadly road rage incident in the middle of Fort Wayne.

Shocking dashcam video caught the moment a van driven by Jason Henkle, 42, veers from the middle to the inside lane clipping a sedan being driven by Alexander Mozee, 19.

Seconds later Mozee accelerates and stops in front, bringing Henkle's van to a halt as traffic lights turn to red on Maplecrest Road.

The teenager springs out of his car, followed by his passenger, and swings at Henkle's driving seat window, shattering the glass as he punches straight through it.

Henkle reaches for his Ruger .380 handgun, hitting Mozee twice and showering glass over another motorist whose window was smashed by a stray bullet.

Mozee was not seriously injured and Henkle was arrested on charges of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, while Mozee was charged with battery.

Mozee was struck in the arm and the shoulder, and can be seen stumbling away clutching his hand. 

Henkle told police he fired three shots to protect himself and his wife after Mozee punched him in the side of the head with the same swing that shattered his window. 

Another nearby driver told police he heard up to four shots and suffered a large welt on his head after bullets shattered his passenger window and one came to rest in his car. 

Mozee has a court date pending but Henkle's charges were dismissed by Allen Superior Court to the astonishment of some Reddit posters.

'In my state if you use lethal force in an act of self-defense you need to have made every reasonable attempt to de-escalate the situation prior to shooting someone,' wrote PerdidoStation.

'Trying to run someone off the road is definitely not de-escalation.'

'Sorry Homie, if you stop in front of a car, and run up to punch them, you have instigated the violence,' added st_samples.

Car in left lane butted in like a jerk, but red car looked like they were committing a straight up hit and run,' wrote 1knightstands.

'Red car then tried to murder kid who hits their window. Red car is 96 percent of the problem here.'

All he had to do to avoid a confrontation and get out of that situation is let go of the gas pedal for 5 seconds,' added Philosopherski.

Road rage has been implicated in around 300 deaths in the last ten years according to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, including 230 murders

The Fort Wayne incident reminded some of October's attack in Portland when wealthy businessman Geoffrey E Hammond, 46, shot dead another driver before turning his gun on a pedestrian after the motorist 'showed him the finger'.

In the aftermath of the November 19 incident, hundreds were prompted to comment including many who thought neither driver should be on the road.

'People completely uninvolved have the potential to die or get shot because of idiots like this,' wrote packattack.