Road rage suspect who threatened off-duty deputies is sentenced

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Scott Tarczon, 38, of Villard, was sentenced to three years in prison recently following a road rage incident that occurred on Highway 27 outside of Alexandria last October.

Two off-duty Douglas County deputies were traveling home from a meeting in the Twin Cities in one of their personal vehicles when they encountered Tarczon.

Tarczon pulled out in front of their vehicle onto Highway 27 and began to travel well below the speed limit.

When the off-duty deputy who was driving attempted to pass Tarczon, Tarczon sped up and swerved at the deputies’ vehicle. He then accelerated toward their vehicle from behind and came within two to five feet of colliding with it.

Tarczon then produced a large, black handgun and began waving it angrily.

The off-duty deputies were unarmed, in civilian clothing, and in an unmarked private car. They stopped their vehicle and requested assistance from on-duty officers. At that point, they followed Tarczon at a distance and observed that he was weaving all over the road and entering the opposing lane of travel at blind approaches.

Officers followed Tarczon to a residence in Villard where he was arrested at gunpoint. Upon searching his vehicle, officers discovered a quantity of methamphetamine and a handgun that shot pellets and BBs.

Douglas County Attorney Chad Larson charged Tarczon with two counts of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of terroristic threats, two counts of methamphetamine possession, and one count of reckless driving.

Tarczon entered a guilty plea to methamphetamine possession before the jury trial began.

After a two-day trial, the jury found Tarczon guilty on all of the remaining counts. The Douglas County Attorney’s office is now forfeiting his vehicle.

In Minnesota, displaying a handgun with the intent to cause fear in another of bodily harm is a felony crime, regardless of whether the gun shoots bullets, pellets or BBs, Larson noted in a news release issued Wednesday. He added that the same is true with an unloaded, or even inoperable, firearm.

“This is because the psychological impact on the victim remains the same in each case,” he said. “The law seeks to punish the threat. Here, Tarczon accomplished his goal of threatening two motorists with a handgun who had the audacity to pass him. Unfortunately for him, they just happened to be law enforcement officers. Had they been civilians, I highly doubt that Tarczon would have been caught.

“There is no smart way to end up in prison,” Larson added, “but this was an incredibly stupid route."

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