Federal marshal investigated after hitting man with his gun in road rage incident

The US Marshals Service is investigating one of its officers for allegedly attacking a 52-year-old Missouri man following a traffic-related dispute, KTVI-TV reported.

The victim, Donald Akers, said he encountered the officer while driving with his wife Janet from their home in Bonne Terre, about 71 miles away from St. Louis. His wife, Janet, said the dispute began when she honked at the officers’ vehicle for veering into their lane on the highway.

The officer, who was off-duty at the time, then maneuvered behind the Akers’ vehicle, she said, and started honking at them. The altercation escalated after both vehicles pulled into a parking lot. The officer’s wife, Janet Akers said, started yelling at her and the marshal approached Donald Akers while holding a firearm.

“He held the gun first,” Donald said. “I didn’t know if he was gonna shoot us or what. Instead he took his hand and hit me right across the nose with it.”

The victim suffered a broken nose and sinus cavity, along with broken teeth, at which point his wife said she tried to defend him. The ensuing fight was broken up by witnesses.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that both couples were cited for third-degree assault in connection with the incident. St. Louis County Police are continuing to investigate the incident before referring the case to local prosecutors for possible charges.

But Janet told KTVI that local police only searched the Akers’ car, while “laughing [and] joking around” with the marshal and refusing to provide her husband with medical assistance.

“We feel like they knew them right off the bat,” she said.

The marshal is based out of the agency’s St. Louis office. A spokesperson for the US Marshals’ federal office said in a statement that the agency is “gathering relevant information on the matter to determine the appropriate steps.”

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