Will Schmitt

Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. —A Missouri man faces a felony charge after he allegedly pointed a gun at a local Democratic activist whose political bumper stickers he disliked.

Edward K. Burns, 48, of Ozark has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon after an alleged Aug. 24 road rage incident described in Christian County court documents.

Ozark police officers were dispatched that morning to a reported two-vehicle crash, according to a probable cause statement. They knew ahead of time there was a possibility one of the drivers was armed with a firearm.

Officers determined there was a road rage incident involving Burns and Laura Umphenour, an activist who is a fixture at local left-leaning protests.

According to the statement, both drivers "exchanged offensive hand gestures," and at one point, Umphenour allegedly pulled up alongside Burns and flipped him the bird.

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At that point, Burns allegedly pulled a Smith & Wesson .380 handgun from his hip holster and pointed it at Umphenour, police said in the statement.

Umphenour "was in fear of being seriously injured or killed," and she "jerked the steering wheel, lost control of her vehicle, struck the front of (Burns') SUV, and slid across the roadway into a guardrail," according to the statement.

Burns "confessed to pointing a gun at (Umphenour) in an attempt to get her to back off," police said.

"During his confession he noted several political decals, which expressed a different political view than his own, on the rear of (Umphenour's) van; which he thought were stupid."

Burns told police he was "very angry" when Umphenour flipped him off.

"(Burns) indicated at no time was he 'scared' of (Umphenour), and indicated he only displayed the gun in an attempt to stop the road rage incident," police said in the statement. "(Burns) said he wanted (Umphenour) to know not to mess with him."

Police also wrote that Burns "admitted he made a bad decision."

Burns is being represented in this case by local attorney Joseph Passanise, who was in court Wednesday afternoon when the News-Leader asked for comment.

Online court documents indicate Burns was held for a few days before posting bond, which was set at $5,000. When he appeared in court with Passanise the day after the alleged incident, he pleaded not guilty.

Umphenour contacted the News-Leader, identifying herself as the alleged victim and notifying a reporter that she planned to file a civil petition against Burns.

"This is a very serious and important case in our community because we don't need hotheads on the highways taking the law in their own hands," said her attorney, David Ransin.

The civil case had not yet been filed as of Wednesday afternoon.

Ransin acknowledged that Umphenour's decision to flip off the other driver indicated "equally poor judgment, but she didn't pull out a fully loaded weapon and point the barrel at his face."