(RepublicanView.org) – A viral online video shows 40-year-old Air Force first sergeant Charles Bass III aiming a gun at the recorder from his truck.
Bass allegedly aimed his weapon at a 19-year-old driver twice on December 5 while asking her if she wanted to die. She was returning home after driving her younger sibling off at school. Some reports claim that the teenage victim, Shi-Anna Bamba, cut Bass off while driving down the road. However, Bamba claims that she didn’t even attempt to switch lanes and that the two were just driving alongside each other.
Bamba said the incident didn’t really hit her despite pulling her phone out to record until after Bass drove away. She then panicked and called her mother. She later told a news crew that there was nothing she could have done that was severe enough to merit such a response.
Bamba called the police in Surprise, AZ, where the incident occurred, and gave them the video. Bamba’s father happened to see the truck Bass was driving the following day and reported its license plate number to authorities. He turned himself in to authorities on December 12 and confirmed that he was the man in the video.
The 21-year veteran of the Air Force said that his combined PTSD and hypervigilance issues contributed to his behavior in the incident. Bass also claimed that he didn’t know why he reacted by pulling out his gun. He is facing several charges related to disorderly conduct with a weapon, threatening through intimidation, and aggravated assault. The felony charges typically lead to a 9-year prison sentence in the state of Arizona.
Hypervigilance is a condition in which a person becomes extremely aware of their surroundings and any possible threat. However, it often causes victims to feel threatened by danger that isn’t actually present. It is a common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and mental illness. In some cases, the brain has difficulty moving back to its normal state.
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