Off-duty Edmonds police officer arrested after 'flashing gun' during road rage incident

LYNNWOOD, Wash. — An off-duty police officer employed by the Edmonds Police Department was arrested after allegedly pointing a firearm at a driver during a road rage incident in Lynnwood.

According to court documents, the officer, who has not been charged, "flashed a pistol" at a driver near 196th St SW and 44th Ave W on Monday.

Statement from the Lynnwood Police Department:

On Dec. 2, around 3 p.m., our officers responded to a call in the area of 196th and 44th Ave. When they arrived, they learned that a male and female were involved in a road rage incident where the female pulled out a firearm and displayed it. Officers arrested her on assault 2 charges and learned she was an off-duty officer with the Edmonds Police Department. She was booked into the Snohomish County Jail.

Statement from Chief Michelle Bennett with the Edmonds Police Department:

On Dec. 2, I was made aware of the arrest of one of our officers, a 3-year veteran of the department. We take this matter very seriously and are cooperating fully with the investigation, which is being conducted by the Lynnwood Police Department. Our internal affairs investigation process has already begun, and the officer has been placed on administrative leave. We will not be releasing information related to the allegations, as those details are held by the Lynnwood Police Department as part of their investigation.

According to the court documents, the victim was exiting I-5 when the driver of the Subaru cut him off, almost hitting the median and nearly pushing him off the road.

"I didn’t see no blinker, I really wasn’t looking to my left," the victim said. According to the victim the female driver looked at him and he raised both hands in a state of confusion.

That's when the officer reached under either "her chair or her side door" and grabbed a "pistol and put it up to the window," the victim detailed. According to court documents, the officer then pointed the pistol at the victim.

“I couldn’t do anything because I was stuck, there were cars in front of me, behind me, I just sat there. I literally put my hands up, I was like, well this is it, this is it,” the victim told police.

Documents state the off-duty female driver was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and booked into the Snohomish County jail.

KOMO News is not naming or showing a photo of the officer until she is formally charged. A spokesperson from the Washington Military Department confirmed that the officer was still an active member of the National Guard.

The organization said they will "look into this matter and take any appropriate action."