Off-Duty Officer Charged In Road Rage Incident

An apparent road rage incident on a local interstate led to charges being filed against an off-duty Columbus police officer, NBC 4's Duarte Geraldino reported on November 11.

The incident occurred at 9:50 a.m. along Interstate 270 North at Westerville Road. Police told NBC 4 that Kristopher Montgomery, 25, of Newark, and off-duty Officer Mark Nelson, 33, of Johnstown, had a dispute while driving.

As the drivers pulled over to the side of the road, investigators said Nelson armed himself with a metal flashlight. The two then started to fight.

Nearby construction workers said they were stunned by what they saw, Geraldino reported.

"We just turned around and there were two guys between the cars arguing," witness Dave Brown said. "One had the other one on the ground beating him, and the other guy had something in his hand, like a club or something."

Investigators said Nelson used the flashlight to hit Montgomery several times in the head, causing a severe laceration.

"The big guy got the little guy down on the ground and started hitting him in the head," another witness told NBC 4. "We saw his head bouncing off the blacktop."

Witnesses said the fight lasted for about five minutes before passers-by stopped the men.

By the time uniformed officers arrived at the scene, the off-duty officer and the second man were bloody, Geraldino reported.

Montgomery was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.

Nelson was charged with felonious assault. He was being held Thursday night at the Franklin County Jail.

OFCC will continue to follow this case, as well as the case of the City of Columbus vs Brinkley, Tressa, in which a Franklin Co. sheriff's deputy has been charged with aggravated-menacing charge, after aiming a gun at a cab driver while off duty last May.