Man accused of assault, firing gun in October road rage incident

SALT LAKE CITY — A man is accused of following a car, rear-ending it then shooting a firearm, police said.

The Salt Lake City Police Department said Peter Lyons followed a car around Salt Lake City on Oct. 16 in an apparent road rage incident. The driver of the other car told police that Lyons tried crowding him out of his lane, then saw that he was being followed. That’s when he called 911, police said.

A probable cause statement said Lyons believed the other driver was intoxicated, so he followed him after calling 911. However, the statement said police found no evidence the driver was intoxicated.

Dispatch told Lyons to stop following the other car, but he continued, the statement said.

When the driver pulled into a parking lot, Lyons rear-ended him, the driver said. The driver continued to flee until he ended up in a cul-de-sac, where Lyons allegedly confronted him with a gun.

“Lyons stated that as he was concerned for his and his wife’s safety, he fired his gun at his windshield and only fired as a warning,” the statement said.

After that, the other driver continued to flee Lyons. The driver went to the Salt Lake City International Airport to wait for officers, the statement said.

Lyons allegedly told police he saw the other driver “throwing beer cans and items out of his vehicle.” Lyons’ wife, who was also in the car, said she saw the man step out with a baseball bat. Police searched the man’s car, but didn’t find beer cans or a bat, and didn’t believe the man was intoxicated.

Lyons is accused of one count of aggravated assault and one count of felony discharge of a firearm.