Edward Burns of Ozark, Mo., was charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon in the late August incident. The woman involved, Laura Umphenour, crashed into a guardrail at highway speeds as a result of the threatening show... An incident report issued by the Ozark Police Department sheds light on what happened:
Burns pulled up alongside Umphenour’s vehicle and flashed an “L” sign with his hand. Umphenour flipped him off. Burns then removed a handgun from his waist area and pointed it at her, Umphenour told police. “Laura said she was scared and jerked the steering wheel, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle,” the report states. She then struck Burns’ vehicle before crashing into a guardrail.
Burns first denied pointing a gun at the woman to police but later admitted he had done so. “I made a bad choice,” he told police. He added he thought the woman’s bumper stickers were “stupid.” The statement said, “Edward is a conservative and the decals were liberal in nature.” A gun was later recovered from a briefcase in Burns’ vehicle.According to Umphenour's attorney, Burns has a .380 pistol. She is working with her attorney to get him to reimburse her for damages caused to her vehicle, as well as compensation for physical and emotional trauma from the encounter.
Burns was released from jail after posting a $5,000 bond.
This is why I don't put bumper stickers on my vehicle, not to mention political signs in my yard.