A California woman accused of pepper spraying an Army veteran during a caught-on-camera road-rage confrontation was arrested Thursday after allegedly leading police on a wild four-mile chase before officers discovered a large concealed knife inside her car, authorities said.
Tiffany Bagby, 41, was booked into the Solano County Jail on multiple felony charges following the dramatic pursuit, according to the Vallejo Police Department.
The arrest stems from a May 11 confrontation involving Army veteran Joe Vallely, who said he was attacked while driving a company bucket truck through Vallejo’s waterfront area.
Police said Vallely was driving south on Wilson Avenue near Hichborn Street when a woman in a red Nissan Altima began making obscene gestures at him before aggressively speeding in front of his vehicle and blocking him from leaving.
Vallely previously said he had been driving cautiously because the road contains newly installed traffic-calming “speed tables” that force vehicles to slow down.
“There’s speed bumps on the road, so you have to drive slow anyway,” Vallely previously told KTVU.
According to police, Vallely feared for his safety and believed the suspect could have been armed because another vehicle was boxed in behind him, preventing him from escaping. He began recording the confrontation on his phone.
Officers said the video showed Bagby exiting her vehicle holding what appeared to be a canister of pepper spray before approaching Vallely’s driver-side window.
“You scared? You should be scared, bitch,” the woman allegedly said moments before spraying him directly in the face.
Police said the attack temporarily blinded Vallely, who drove away seeking safety and attempted to flush out his eyes at a nearby business before later receiving medical treatment.
Authorities identified Bagby as the suspect and attempted to contact her at her residence in the days following the incident, but police said she refused to cooperate.
The case escalated Thursday when officers spotted Bagby driving near Mini and Stanford Drives and attempted a traffic stop.
According to police, Bagby initially refused commands to exit her vehicle before suddenly speeding away, triggering a high-speed pursuit that stretched roughly four miles through Vallejo streets.
The chase ended in the 100 block of Hilborn Avenue, where officers said Bagby again resisted commands to leave the car before she was ultimately taken into custody.
During the arrest, police discovered a “large concealed knife” wedged between the driver’s seat and center console, authorities said.
Investigators also said Bagby later admitted to pepper-spraying Vallely during the original confrontation.
She now faces several felony charges, including felony evasion, felony battery and false imprisonment. Bail was reportedly set at $57,000.
Bagby also posted her own version of events online after the confrontation, claiming she sprayed Vallely to stop him from antagonizing her. Police, however, said video evidence supported Vallely’s account of the incident.
Vallely, a father of two who has said he suffers from PTSD related to his military service, previously said the attack left him rattled.
Despite the confrontation, Vallely said he tried not to escalate the encounter and instead focused on escaping safely after being sprayed.
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