Jerry Patterson, the Palmdale man who was thrown to the ground and kicked in the head during a freeway fight recently captured on video, has been arrested on an outstanding warrant stemming from an earlier roadside confrontation, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The 49-year-old man failed to appear in court for a June 6 arraignment.
His bond was forfeited and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Chet L. Taylor issued a bench warrant for $50,000.
Patterson was arrested Thursday morning in Altadena and was scheduled to be booked at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, according to the CHP.
CHP confirmed Patterson was involved both in a May 25 confrontation and the highly publicized June 12 road-rage incident on the side of the 5 Freeway at Seventh Street in Los Angeles.
Patterson has not responded to NBC4's request for comment, but his sister -- in a phone interview -- told NBC4 that her brother is "a very good guy. We support him 300 percent."
"These two incidents are isolated," she said. "He's a good guy. He helps dogs and senior citizens. We don't know what is happening. Maybe he's just having a bad month. He's a good man."
Video published recently online showed Patterson stopped along the southbound 5 Freeway, shouting with three other men on June 12. The altercation turned violent, and two of the men beat Patterson until he was motionless on the ground.
In an interview Wednesday, Patterson acknowledged he accidentally cut off the other vehicle, eventually leading to the road-rage confrontation. He also told NBC4 he suffered a concussion as a result of the incident, which garnered mainstream attention following multiple news reports.
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Suspects Edras Ramirez, 27, and David Mendez, 21, later turned themselves in and are scheduled for arraignment on Friday.
Patterson's arrest on Thursday stems from an outstanding warrant from an earlier incident, according to the CHP.
Following a hit-and-run collision May 25 at Corona Avenue and The Toledo in Long Beach, witness James Poole said he followed Patterson to the 200 block of La Verne.
Patterson pulled over and the two began arguing, said Poole of Belmont Shore.
"I wouldn't let him get back in his car. First I demanded his driver license number and a lot of people started seeing us yelling and screaming at each other. I was looking at his driver license when he hit me," Poole said.
Poole said he walked away from the altercation with two black eyes.
"The three things I do recall he said during our discussion was the fact that he saved millions of Americans' live, he's on a mission with the FBI, and to let him go," Poole said.
Patterson was booked on suspicion of DUI, hit and run and battery, according to the full police report.
Poole told NBC4 he went to court in June expecting to see Patterson, but he didn't show.Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment:iPhone/iPad App | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | RSS | Text Alerts | Email Alerts
