Man gets 15 years for 'road rage episode'

A Butler County judge sentenced a Bunker, Missouri, man to 15 years in prison Tuesday afternoon in connection with a "road rage episode" in which he fired two rounds into the tailgate of a passing pickup.

After hearing testimony from witnesses during an August trial, a Butler County jury deliberated about two hours in convicting James A. Dorris, formerly of Lugoff, South Carolina, of felony unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action.

The jury sentenced Dorris to the 15 years, as well as three years on the armed criminal action charge, which is the mandatory minimum.

Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett imposed the jury's sentences and ordered them to run concurrently.

During the two-day trial, jurors heard testimony about an April 28, 2013, incident investigated by the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

"My two main witnesses were a man by the name of Kole Bond and Courtney Tomlinson Bond," said Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Oesterreicher. "Mr. Bond testified that Mr. Dorris cut him off around the Wal-Mart area as they were traveling north on Westwood Boulevard."

Kole Bond, Oesterreicher said, further testified he got in front of Dorris' truck, and "Mr. Dorris pulled a small handgun and fired two shots at the vehicle in which Mr. Bond was driving, striking the tailgate."

Bond's now-wife told the jury she didn't see the actual shooting, but was "sitting next to Kole Bond at the time, and she heard the shots," Oesterreicher said. "She was pushed down in the seat by Mr. Bond."

Oesterreicher said there were no holes in the tailgate of Bond's truck.

The damage was "more like indentations," he said. "A tailgate is double walled" and when it was struck, "the bullet shattered."

The bullets "did not penetrate inside the tailgate. The police department called those points of impact."