Ex-Toledo police officer, 49, accused of road rage again

File photo of former Officer Keith Carr

A former Toledo police officer who left the force after being accused of choking a motorcyclist in 2007 appeared in court Tuesday for an unrelated road-rage incident.

Keith Carr, 49, of 3149 Cromwell Dr., in Oregon, is charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly pointing a small silver revolver at Daniel Warner, 21, of Maumee on June 9.

Toledo Municipal Court Judge Amy Berling ruled that the case be sent to mediation. If the suspect and victim are unable to come to an agreement in mediation, the case will go to trial.

The incident began when Mr. Carr tried to merge onto I-280. Mr. Warner told authorities he was driving on I-280, near the Phillips Avenue exit, with his girlfriend and 2-month-old daughter when Mr. Carr attempted to merge onto the interstate.

Mr. Warner told authorities that while Mr. Carr was driving, the suspect and his son — who was sitting in the back — pointed guns at the victim’s car. Mr. Warner said he got behind Mr. Carr’s vehicle to take down his license plate number when Mr. Carr reportedly stopped on the interstate, causing the victim to crash into the suspect’s car.

Both vehicles got off the interstate at Phillips; Mr. Warner said a 911 operator told him to “lose” Mr. Carr or drive to the downtown Safety Building. Mr. Carr also called 911 to report a hit-and-run crash.

Mr. Carr’s attorney, Jerry Phillips, said the crash happened on the I-280 ramp after Mr. Carr stopped because he was being “chased” by Mr. Warner. His client only pulled out a gun, Mr. Phillips said, because he thought Mr. Warner had one as well.

Mr. Warner said he will not agree to anything discussed in arbitration and will push for a trial.

“I felt helpless watching somebody point a gun at my girlfriend and my kid,” he said.

In 2007, Mr. Carr, then a 13-year police veteran, was in his Toledo police uniform but off duty when he was arrested for allegedly grabbing an Oregon man riding a motorcycle and choking him, shouting, “stop bobbing and weaving in traffic. I got your plate, I'm going to see you later, buddy,” according to The Blade archives that cited a Toledo police report.

The disposition of Mr. Carr’s 2007 case was unavailable. Mr. Phillips could not comment on previous incidents because he had not represented Mr. Carr then. A date for mediation has not been set.

Contact Taylor Dungjen at tdungjen@theblade.com, or 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @taylordungjen.