By Brad Hick / Staff Writer
Some early morning commuters traveling along East Kentucky 80 Wednesday witnessed an unusual spectacle as members of the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office arrested a London man for allegedly standing in the road and yelling at passing vehicles — all while brandishing a firearm.
Police received several reports before 7 a.m. of a man walking in the middle of the road on East Kentucky 80, near Bush Elementary School. According to officials, Joseph Benge, 29, was yelling at cars as they passed by him while holding a shotgun.
Laurel County Sheriff Fred Yaden said police are unsure why Benge was allegedly yelling at the vehicles but said he was not making threats directed toward a specific individual.
“What they told me is he was cussing,” Yaden said. “He was yelling obscenities. ... Cars would go by and he would cuss at them.”
While the alleged incident happened along the same stretch of road as Bush Elementary, Yaden said it is more likely that Benge chose the location because it is close to his home. Benge resides on Tom Cat Trail, which runs along East Kentucky 80 and is approximately a mile from the school.
Yaden said police received a report Tuesday evening that Benge was in the middle of the road acting in a similar fashion.
“We weren’t able to locate him then, but we found him this morning,” Yaden said.
Deputy Josh Gaylor responded first to the scene and found Benge walking along the roadside in an “irate state,” according to a release from the sheriff’s office.
Benge was arrested without incident and is being held in the Laurel County Detention Center. Benge has been charged with disorderly conduct, first-degree terroristic threatening and public intoxication.
“We don’t know if he was on drugs or what,” Yaden said.
Police also seized the fully-loaded 12 gauge shotgun that Benge was allegedly in possession of.
Benge’s bond is set at $10,000 cash.
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