WILLIAMS, AZ – On Monday May 24th , deputies responded to the area of Espee Rd and Highway 64 north of Williams for a report of a male subject driving a water truck pointing a gun at the occupants of a vehicle.

When deputies arrived on scene the victims indicated they had been traveling northbound on Highway 64 attempting to pass a slow-moving water truck in the northbound lane. As they attempted to pass the water truck it sped up and prevented the vehicle from returning into the northbound lane. The vehicle had to accelerate to get around the water truck and prevent a collision with southbound traffic. The victims then observed an emergency vehicle parked on Espee Rd just west of Highway 64 and turned off the highway to contact and report the driving behavior. When they arrived, they discovered the emergency vehicle was a local fire department vehicle searching the area for a report of smoke, possibly a fire, in the area. One of the occupants approached the fire vehicle and made contact with the Fire Chief and asked him to contact the Sheriff’s Office to report the water truck.

Shortly after, the water truck pulled in behind the victims’ vehicle and the driver began yelling at the victims from his driver seat. The victims who moved their vehicle and parked across the street from the water truck near the Fire Chief’s vehicle witnessed the driver present a handgun and point it at the occupant who had exited the vehicle and was standing at the passenger rear corner of their vehicle. The Fire Chief tried to intervene and stop the argument from escalating. The water truck then drove off towards the Junipine Estates neighborhood. The victims had their three young children in the car when the gun was pointed towards them.

The water truck was later located near a residence in Junipine Estates and the driver identified as Robert Burgess Jr, 51 year old of Ash Fork. Burgess admitted to pointing his gun at the vehicle occupant. The firearm was later seized as evidence after Burgess turned it over to a friend after the incident.

Burgess is currently being held at the Coconino County Detention Facility on 1 count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, 5 counts of Disorderly Conduct with a Deadly Weapon, and 4 counts of Endangerment on a $10,000 bond. Additional charges and arrests are pending the case being reviewed by the County Attorney’s Office.

If anyone has additional information regarding this investigation you are encouraged to contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-774-4523 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.