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A man who was seen on video being thrown to the ground and kicked in the head after a confrontation along a Southern California freeway has been arrested because of an earlier road rage incident.
A passing motorist captured cell phone video along Interstate 5 in Los Angeles on June 12 of Jerry Patterson of Palmdale, Calif., being beaten by two other men until he was unresponsive. The video shows Patterson, 49, shouting with three men, and then rolling up his sleeves and balling his hands. Then, two of men push Patterson down, kick and punch him, and drive off with the third man as Patterson lay motionless on the ground.
On Thursday, Patterson was arrested for a different skirmish that happened last month: California Highway Patrol told NBCLosAngeles.com that on May 25, Patterson had been involved in a hit-and-run collision in Long Beach that led to a fight.
Read more, see video on NBCLosAngeles.com
James Poole told NBCLosAngeles.com he witnessed the hit-and-run, and followed Patterson on his motorcycle. Patterson pulled over about a mile later and the two began arguing, said Poole, of Belmont Shore.
"I wouldn't let him get back in his car. First I demanded his driver license number and a lot of people started seeing us yelling and screaming at each other. I was looking at his driver license when he hit me," Poole said.
Poole said he walked away from the altercation with two black eyes.
"The three things I do recall he said during our discussion was the fact that he saved millions of Americans' lives, he's on a mission with the FBI, and to let him go," Poole said. There is cell phone video of the altercation.
Patterson was booked on suspicion of DUI, hit and run, and battery, according to the full police report.
Patterson didn't show up for his June 5 court date, so police issued an arrest warrant for him the following day. On Thursday morning, police arrested Patterson for failing to appear at the arraignment.
Patterson's sister told the station in a phone interview that her brother is "a very good guy. We support him 300 percent."
"These two incidents are isolated," his sister, who was not identified, said. "He's a good guy. He helps dogs and senior citizens. We don't know what is happening. Maybe he's just having a bad month. He's a good man."
Assailants seen in video arrested
Meanwhile, video of the June 12 incident prompted an investigation by the California Highway Patrol. The men accused of beating Patterson were arrested and identified as Edras Ramirez, 27 and David Mendez, 21. They turned themselves in on Wednesday night, and are scheduled to be arraigned at some point on Friday, according to the CHP.
Earlier this week, before his arrest, Patterson told NBCLosAngeles.com the confrontation began after he accidentally cut off the suspects. The men then followed him for about five miles and threw things at his vehicle before they stopped in front of him, Patterson said.
"In 20/20 hindsight, I probably should have called the police," said Patterson, who told NBCLosAngeles.com he suffered a concussion. "I'm just not that kind of person. I didn't think in my wildest dreams it would escalate to where it went to. ... It was just a fight. You win some, you lose some. ... I don't remember much of that."
Read more of the interview with Patterson on NBCLosAngeles.com
The video of the fight was posted and later removed from YouTube, but is still live on a site called LiveLeak.com.
Emeal Age, the driver who captured the video, told NBCLosAngeles.com he didn't want to risk getting hurt by stepping in to try to stop the brawl.
"I didn't think it was going to escalate to this," Age said. "I didn't want to jeopardize what I have going on in my life for a situation like that. So I just made the best deicision and all I could do was get it on camera for him."
The video clearly showed the assailants' faces, and captured their license plate, as well. The third man seen in the assailants' car is not being pursued by police, said The Los Angeles Times.
Read more from the man who took the video on NBCLosAngeles.com
CHP Sgt. Denise Joslin said it was wise of Age not to get involved.
"The ideal situation would have been that these individuals didn't engage in the type of conduct they did," Joslin told NBCLosAngeles.com. "We all know of good Samaritans out there, but I don't necessarily recommend getting involved in a incident like this. We don't know the capability of the individuals involved. We don't know if the individuals are armed."
When the assailants drove off, Age and another man are seen rushing over to Patterson, trying to help him up. By the time emergency personnel arrived at the scene, Patterson was gone. He told NBCLosAngeles.com he drove himself home.
Patterson, a mortgage consultant and father of three, was to be booked at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, according to CHP.
His bond was forfeited and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Chet L. Taylor issued a bench warrant for $50,000.
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duncandinga and brotha man,
You are part of the problem not the solution...just letting you know. Careful out their as there is always someone bigger or faster than you...better to just chill and walk away.
Anyone who shows up for a fair fight is unprepared. In light of the "dog pile" mentality of today's thugs, I choose to be armed at all times.
Some people ( a lot actually ) just have no business behind the wheel....
I hope Emeal Age, the guy who did nothing to help and shot the video, get's into a similar situation where he's getting beat by a couple of guys and no one tries to break it up. He's a healthy young man who plays semi-pro football. There were other people watching too. You don't have to get "into" the fight to try and break it up. All you have to do is get close enough and yell "Break it up, the police are coming" or something similar and that's usually enough to stop it. Instead he takes the video and watches a guy get kicked in the head while laying on the ground unconscious. Karma can be a bitch.
I pulled out in front of a guy one time.But i didn't see him, He was flying.When we pulled up to the light he jump out and run around to my door.I looked up at him and didn't say a word.He didn't neither.He was looking down at the barrel pointing at him that was resting on the windows arm rest.He turned and went and got in his car speechless and sped off. I don't know what he wanted,but i know what he didn't want.He was a big ole thang,but he wasn't big as my 357 smith and wesson.
People pull out in front of me all the time.Especially when i was trucking.I learned what the heck it's gonna happen so be looking for the unexpected at all times.In fact expected it .But i'm not in to trying to harm anyone over driving or cutting me off.It's not a big deal to me. I leave early no matter where i'm going so i want have to be in a big hurry to get there.Some people leave to late and then they will try to run over you to get to work or their appointment on time.
These fellows are full of trouble and mischief more than likely .Wanting trouble,some of them.Lots of them are on drugs or under the influence of some sort.Because if they were in their right mind they would want peace,work harder at that and achieve a whole lot more of the benifits that are in a day.
Its all Obamas fault.He is so thin skinned.
I knew this was in California before even seeing the article
Could have been Seattle. Does it matter?
Let this guys B .... They got into a fight mutal combat that was it nothing more.I rather hear about our guys over seas fighting....
he is a fkn liar! watch those stupid cops and the dumb ass prosecutor jump on this and forget about this liar!!!
i can totally understand it.im the most patient guy you will ever meet until i get behind the wheel.
From what I've seen and read, the guy that got beat up was the initial aggressor... not to mention that he obviously had the a prior arrest warrant out for him.
BUT, kicking a man multiple times in the head as those 2 did, after he was down and out, is nothing less than attempted MURDER.
The lack of humanity and brutality by those 2 should land them in jail for many years.
With that being said, Patterson deserves some jail time for his prior issues and for once again creating a road rage incident that a mature person would avoid.
All I can say is...Karma's a B*tch!! lol
Some people turn completely different when driving as if they own the road. Patterson possibly appears to have been the a$$hole in both incidents and got his by being beaten and arrested later. Driving is a privilege and he just may lose his for a while anyway.
Next time use your phone as a phone and not a camera Emeal. Road rage is a real problem in some places and to sit by and watch a fight happen instead of calling the cops is not too smart.
Two on one and everybody stands around. And the guys video taping him call him "Brother" while they watch him catch a beating. I was more surprised that the 3rd guy didnt jump in. Once the second guy jumped in people should have stepped in to stop it. What would have been the case if he died. Four kicks to the face while he's done and out. NOT RIGHT! All men standing around. On to story 2 - the vigilanty father chases him on a motorcycle and confronts him demanding his license. If someone stopped me and demanded my license the first thing I'd ask is "Who is this guy?" (NOT A COP) and why is he confronting me. I'd pop him out of self defense. If he confronted me at the scene of a hit and run that's one thing, but take his plate# and call the cops.
This guy is a bozo and has no right asking for someone to surrender their drivers license.....
lol. i have seen worse. it was just a street fight people nothing more nothing less. and you the guy with the camera please tell me you pulled over off the road and didn't cause traffic to back up for hrs over you 2 min video. dang rubber neckers
Two black eyes... and one kicked black ass. Next time it might be mexican gangsters with Fast and Furious AK-47's, better off staying in the car.
I would like to see road ragers treated like drunk drivers. They are both dangerous on the roads and demonstrate and react unpredictably- even with little provocation. They should lose their drivers licenses for good if they are involved in more than one incident. It has gotten to the point where I am afraid to even tap my horn at a driver ahead of me who sits through a green light, because you never know if that person is going to come after you. Another sign that civility is long gone in America.