An Aloha man recorded yelling racist comments at a fellow driver on Tuesday was a suspect in a previous incident of apparent road rage, documents show.

Joseph Metoxen, identified by authorities as the driver in the viral video, was the suspect in a criminal mischief case in September after allegedly damaging a man's car, according to Beaverton Police Department documents. Police say Metoxen was never arrested.

A driver had reported to police that he was stopped at a traffic light at Southwest Walker Road and Southwest 158th Avenue when a red Chevrolet Blazer pulled up next to him. The man said the driver of the Chevrolet steered into his lane and yelled at him out of the window of his car.

The man then drove to a Fred Meyer, parked and headed into the store, passing the driver of the red car on the way in, police said. The man then returned to the parking lot and saw the suspect throw something in the back of his car and drive away. The man told police that another man in the area alleged he saw the suspect, identified in police documents as Metoxen, take a "wrench like object" from his car and use it to strike the man's vehicle.

The man reported that his tail light was broken and the back of his car was dented. The damage was estimated at $895, records show.

The case is now listed as "inactive/suspended", according to documents.

On Tuesday, an Aloha resident posted video of Metoxen shouting racist slurs and clapping at her while stopped at a red light. The woman, Susan Khalaf, said the incident was a "classic case of road rage" and that Metoxen had yelled at her before she started recording.

The video and Facebook post quickly went viral. Social media users identified Metoxen as an employee of a Troutdale plumbing company. The company announced Wednesday afternoon that the employee had been fired.

According Washington County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Bob Ray, Metoxen, 35, had called authorities because he feared for his safety after noticing the video gaining traction. Deputies then learned Metoxen had a municipal warrant for criminal mischief in Beaverton, and he was arrested at his home.

However, Metoxen did not violate the law with his actions captured on the video, Ray said.

"While his behavior is disturbing, there was nothing illegal that we could see," Ray said.

Attempts to reach Metoxen were unsuccessful.

--Laura Frazier

lfrazier@oregonian.com

503-294-4035

@frazier_laura