Uber Driver Meets Firearms Drama in Summerfield: Marion County Man Arrested
An Uber ride to remember unfolded in Summerfield on January 18, leaving a driver rattled, a driveway littered with drama, and a Marion County man behind bars. Deputies arrested Joseph Russell, a convicted felon, for allegedly firing a handgun at an unsuspecting Uber driver who mistakenly pulled into his property.
The ordeal began when the driver, in search of his rider, Bertie Carter, inadvertently entered Russell’s driveway. What followed was less a warm welcome and more a showdown. According to the driver, Russell stormed out wielding a black handgun, shouting profanities and demanding he leave. The driver explained he was just looking for his rider, but Russell allegedly fired several shots into the air before aiming at the vehicle and pulling the trigger three more times.
The victim, unharmed but understandably shaken, reported hearing bullets whistle past him and strike a nearby fence. Witnesses corroborated the noise, with one neighbor confirming “more than five” shots rang out from the direction of Russell’s property.
Adding a layer of family drama, Carter, who ordered the Uber, happens to be Russell’s stepdaughter. She admitted she hadn’t informed her stepfather about her ride, leaving him to assume the worst. Carter told deputies Russell owned a black 9mm handgun—aligning with the victim’s account.
Russell, however, offered a different version of events. Post-Miranda, he denied firing a weapon, claiming he only brandished a baseball bat and hurled a brick in frustration. When pressed on why shell casings might be found on his property, Russell shifted blame to imaginary trigger-happy visitors. Deputies were unconvinced.
A records check revealed Russell’s felony history and a standing injunction prohibiting him from owning firearms. Despite his denials, the story unraveled further, and he was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and violating a protective injunction.
Russell is currently residing in the Marion County Jail, where no Uber pickup is expected anytime soon.
