A Bloomfield man, who was angry about another vehicle following too closely, is accused of punching the other driver in the face in the parking lot of a Linton store last Wednesday.

Ronald William Gray, Jr., 47, Bloomfield, was arrested by Officer Alan Jackson of the Linton Police Department last Wednesday evening, October 20.

Around 5 p.m. last Wednesday, Officer Jackson was dispatched to the Walmart area where a battery was reported. Officer Jackson got there at the same time as medical personnel from the Greene County Ambulance Service and located a male victim and a woman who made the call to police. They were parked in a vehicle between Walmart and the Murphy’s USA gas station.

The male driver said he and the caller were going to Walmart with their child and drove up the center aisle of the parking area. He said while looking for a spot, a man, later identified as Ronald William Gray, Jr., marched up to his vehicle, yelling at him. The driver said when he stopped his vehicle, Gray punched him in the face. The driver said he then drew his gun but didn’t point it at Gray because his child was with them. The driver said Gray said to shoot him and the driver then drove away from Gray. The driver said he had never seen Gray before.

The caller, who was a passenger in the vehicle, said she had never seen Gray before either but he was yelling about following too close to Gray’s vehicle while driving earlier. When asked if she thought this was a road rage incident, she said she didn’t know because when they were stopped at the stoplight at State Road 54 and County Road 1000 West, they were the first one in line. She said after they drove away, she saw Gray pacing in front of the Walmart doors on the grocery side.

Officer Jackson reported the driver’s upper lip was cut and bleeding but he did not accept medical treatment.

When Officer Jackson and the driver both went into the store to locate Gray, the driver was able to identify him. According to Officer Jackson, Gray said when he was driving to Walmart, a truck kept riding up on his vehicle and almost hit him so he walked up to the truck in the parking lot and confronted the driver. He said the driver pulled a gun on him. He allegedly admitted he hit the driver.

Gray was walked out of the store and detained in handcuffs in a patrol vehicle.

Officer Jackson was able to view video of the incident from the store’s surveillance system which showed the driver’s vehicle pulling up the center aisle, Gray coming from between some parked vehicles to the east and approaching the driver’s vehicle. After a brief moment, Gray reached through the driver’s window and appeared to have punched the driver. Gray took a couple steps back and the vehicle drove away.

Gray was transported to the Greene County Jail where he was booked in at 6:32 p.m. with bond set at $1,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He has since posted $100 and been released.

A criminal case was filed against Gray in Greene Superior Court earlier today, Monday. He is facing a charge of battery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor.