AKRON, Ohio — Akron Police decided to charge a 39-year-old man in a road rage incident in Akron despite claims of self-defense due to additional witness statements and evidence.

News 5 has new information road rage incident It turned violent in the South Arlington and East Market Street area.

This comes after Akron Police Chief Michael Miller released the 911 call, including the 39-year-old man involved in the incident.

“A man crashed into my car. He was in the bike lane and I wouldn’t let him into my lane. He crashed into my car and when I yelled at him he pulled a gun on me and I shot him back,” said the 39-year-old suspect.

Initially, Capt. Michael Miller said they listed the 39-year-old driver and the 78-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the face as both victims and suspects.

But things changed after officers reviewed the 39-year-old’s claim of self-defense, compared it with what witnesses said and additional physical and digital evidence, and decided to charge him with aggravated assault, Miller said.

“We were about to stop, I cursed at him and told him to pull over, and he pulled a gun on me,” the 39-year-old suspect said.

“Collectively, detectives did not believe there was any real merit to the explanation or the self-defense component of this,” Miller said.

According to preliminary information, a minor two-vehicle accident occurred on East Market Street, and police said the victim’s vehicle side-swiped the other vehicle, leaving minor damage.

Authorities said the 39-year-old driver of the other vehicle fired multiple shots, one of which struck the victim, and 911 assisted until crews arrived.

“He’s got a pink rag on his face right now,” one 911 caller said.

After the shooting, police said the 39-year-old man left the scene.

That’s when the man finally called the police, and officers located him and took him into custody without further incident.

“We do not believe the victim did anything to provoke or cause this situation to happen to him. It really just depends on the individual deciding to escalate what was initially a minor accident and choosing to use a firearm,” Miller said.

Miller said it was not his department’s role to determine the 39-year-old man’s perspective beyond the initial investigation at this point.

The 78-year-old man is expected to survive, Miller said.