Man gets probation in armed road rage

Citing his age, lack of felonies and convictions and a recommendation from prosecutors, Douglas County District Judge Tom Gregory sentenced a man to probation for assault with a deadly weapon.

Jacob David Stephens, 22, admitted to assault with a deadly weapon in February. According to court documents, Stephens was arrested Oct. 8, 2022, during a road range incident after pointing a handgun at a couple in another vehicle.

The couple was driving east down Kingsbury Grade and reported Stephens was tailgating them in a Dodge pickup diesel truck. They said he pulled to the right side of their vehicle and pointed a gun at them and was yelling, then continued to follow them on Mottsville Lane and Highway 88 before law enforcement arrived.

“There’s a big difference between stupidity and dangerous,” said Bethany Towne. “Had he taken another step toward dangerous, he would have ended a family.”

Stephens was sentenced to a suspended 2-5 years in prison and ordered obtain and follow a mental health and substance abuse evaluation and spend 30 days in Douglas County jail.

“There was absolutely no justification for what you did, I can only think of the victims and what they thought,” Gregory said.