Man Who Shot At Snow Plow Driver Could Be Charged With Attempted Murder

PITTSFIELD TWP. (WWJ) - A man accused of firing a gun at a snow plow driver could face charges of attempted murder and felonious assault.

The Washtenaw County Prosecutor is expected to announce Wednesday charges against the 39-year-old Pittsfield Township man, who apparently opened fire in frustration.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Valley Ranch Apartments on Oak Valley Drive, near I-94 and South State Street in Pittsfield Township. According to police, the man fired one shot after the plow driver moved snow behind his car, blocking him in.

The plow driver, Ben Clink, told The Ann Arbor News he was more than seven hours into his shift, using a front-end loader to remove roughly 4 inches of fresh snow, when the irate man started to approach him. When Clink realized the man had a gun, he ducked down behind the steering wheel as low as he could. After the man fired one shot, Clink started begging for his life as the gunman continued walking toward him.

"I was just saying 'Please don't shoot me, please don't shoot me. I'll move the snow, please don't shoot me,'" he said.

The gunman eventually retreated and Clink called 911. Police said the suspect has a concealed pistol license and surrendered his gun to officers at the scene. The man was arrested, although it wasn't immediately clear if he's being held, pending charges.

Clink, who continued working after the incident, said he had planned to move the pile of snow, but the man shot at him first. The gunshot shattered the vehicle's windshield, which Clink estimates will cost upwards of $2,500 to replace.