Florida physician arrested for allegedly firing gun at teenagers who tossed cheese at his Vary Rover: ‘They shot at me first’

A former Florida Mayo Clinic physician is going through felony prices after allegedly firing a pistol at a automobile filled with excessive schoolers who pelted his Vary Rover with cheese, based on police.

Dr. Bruce Mitchell, 67, was arrested in Ponte Vedra Seashore Saturday night after an alarming high-speed automobile chase that started with a seemingly innocuous teen prank.

5 pupil athletes from a Jacksonville personal college admitted to police they’d been “throwing cheese” from their automobile at a stoplight — however stated issues escalated when a black Vary Rover started bearing down on them after the sunshine turned inexperienced, the St. John’s Citizen reported.

The Vary Rover — recognized by cops as Mitchell’s — aggressively tailed the kids, who accelerated and swerved between lanes to flee.

Mitchell then allegedly waved a gun out the Rover’s window and fired a spherical into the air — inflicting the teenage driver to stomp on the fuel and peel away as quick as he may.

The excessive schooler informed police he was considering “didn’t need to die” the entire time, whereas one in every of his passengers stated he was “in concern for his and his pals’ lives” as they frantically referred to as 911 from the automobile.

Mitchell allegedly stopped following the kids after police handed them, and he drove off in a special route. He was stopped by police a short while later.

The physician stepped out of his automobile with out being directed, court docket paperwork present, with officers drawing their weapons and ordering him to give up earlier than he complied.

“I then gave loud verbal instructions to stroll backwards to the sound of my voice,” a responding officer stated in an incident report obtained by the Citizen.

A Sig Sauer pistol was discovered in Mitchell’s glovebox, with a loaded journal on the passenger seat and a spent bullet cartridge mendacity within the footwell.

After his arrest, Mitchell informed police, “they shot at me first” earlier than refusing to talk, court docket paperwork present.

No weapons have been discovered within the teenagers’ automobile.

Mitchell is charged with discharge of a weapon from a automobile and aggravated assault with a lethal weapon with out intent to kill. He was launched on bond after being booked.

The physician beforehand served as director of Hospital Drugs at Emory College, based on his LinkedIn profile, and served on the Jacksonville Mayo Clinic for 14 years.