A routine rear-end crash on Des Moines’ south side turned into a terrifying moment when a 43-year-old driver allegedly pointed a handgun at two teenagers and threatened to shoot them.
Story Snapshot
- A minor crash at Southeast 14th Street and East McKinley Avenue led to an armed confrontation involving two teens.
- Police say the adult driver got out, pointed a 9mm handgun at the teen driver and passenger, and threatened to shoot.
- Officers arrived quickly, disarmed the suspect, and detained him without any further injuries at the scene.
- The man faces multiple counts of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and first-degree harassment.
Crash On Des Moines South Side Escalates Into Gun Incident
Friday afternoon, around 3 p.m., police and fire crews responded to a crash at Southeast 14th Street and East McKinley Avenue on Des Moines’ south side. Officers say one vehicle rear-ended another, leaving at least one person with minor injuries. Instead of calmly trading insurance information, the 43-year-old driver of the front vehicle allegedly became enraged. According to police, that driver is Bradley Ratkovich, a Des Moines man now at the center of this road-rage gun case.
Des Moines Police Department officers say that, while they were heading to the crash, dispatchers warned them that one driver was pointing a handgun at other people at the scene. When officers arrived, they found Ratkovich outside his vehicle in front of the car that had hit him, with two teenagers inside. Police say he was pointing a handgun toward the 18-year-old driver and the 16-year-old passenger, both shaken after the minor crash.
Police: Driver Pointed 9mm At Teenagers And Threatened To Shoot
Police and local news reports say Ratkovich pulled out what was described as a Glock 9mm handgun and aimed it toward the teen driver and passenger. Officers and reporters say he did more than just show the gun; he allegedly threatened to shoot the teens during the confrontation. An online report describes him as pointing the weapon at “two teens” after the accident and turning a scare into a direct threat. No shots were fired, but the situation left witnesses fearing it could have become deadly in seconds.
Responding officers quickly moved in to defuse the danger. They ordered Ratkovich to put the gun down and disarmed him without injury to him, the teenagers, or bystanders. Police then took him into custody at the scene. According to reporting, he was later booked into the Polk County Jail on multiple charges, including two counts of Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon and two counts of First-Degree Harassment. Officials say the weapon was seized as evidence while investigators continue to review what happened.
Charges, Broader Concerns, And The Road-Rage Pattern
Local television and online outlets report that Ratkovich now faces assault charges tied to displaying a dangerous weapon and harassment charges linked to the alleged threats against the teens. Police say the crash itself was minor, but the decision to point a gun and issue threats turned the event into a serious criminal case. No injuries from gunfire were reported, but at least one crash-related injury was noted by authorities, though details were not yet released.
Des Moines police (responding to the crash report and then notified of a handgun) arrived quickly with multiple units. Officers approached with guns drawn, secured the firearm, and detained Ratkovich without further incident or injuries. No shots were fired. He was taken to a…
— Not Éamon deValera (@feckingm) July 27, 2026
This incident fits a pattern seen in many city crash stories, where a traffic mishap quickly turns into a gun case. A minor collision, a spike of anger, and the presence of a firearm can turn a routine call into a possible tragedy in seconds. For many Americans on both the right and the left, stories like this feed a common worry: basic public safety feels shaky when everyday accidents can end with someone screaming “put the gun down” at a crash scene instead of swapping insurance cards.
Sources:
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