Road rage incident ends in arrest

PRIEST RIVER — It’s unclear if a Priest River man was heeding the advice of his namesake’s relative or disregarding it during an apparent road rage incident on U.S. Highway 2 on Thursday.

Either way, Roosevelt Franklin stands charged with misdemeanor battery and felony assault for allegedly punching another motorist and then threatening him with a stick.

Franklin, 55, was ordered held Friday on $10,000. Judge Barbara Buchanan appointed a public defender to represent Franklin and entered an order forbidding him from contacting the victim in the case, court records show.

The motorist told a Bonner County Sheriff’s deputy that Franklin cut him off while pulling onto the highway. The two subjects ended up stopped on the roadside west of Bodie Canyon Road, where they yelled and cursed at each other, a probable cause affidavit said.

The alleged victim maintained that Franklin began throwing punches, one of which connected with his chin. Franklin allegedly retrieved a 1-by-8-inch dowel during the confrontation and began swinging it at the other motorist, according to the affidavit.

An eyewitness to the afternoon dispute painted Franklin as the aggressor, the affidavit indicates.

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, is widely associated with the phrase, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” a proverb which advises non-aggression backed by a willingness to use force if necessary. He is a distant cousin of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the nation’s 32nd president.