The charges were dropped after a road rage incident at the El Paso Sam’s Club was caught on video

On November 13, 2024By Pranco

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Charges were dropped for the man caught on video allegedly hitting an 18-year-old after a road rage incident at Sam’s gas station in northeast El Paso.

William Jesse Sullivan was arrested on April 16 and charged with assault occasioning bodily harm after a video went viral showing what appeared to be Sullivan punching and headbutting an 18-year-old after he allegedly became impatient with the gas station.

However, that charge has since been dropped thanks to a pretrial diversion program Sullivan completed, according to court records.

This program is often an option for first-time offenders.

RELATED: Arrest made in El Paso Sam gas station road rage incident

The incident, as KFOX14/CBS4 previously reported, took place on April 6 and went viral thanks to a video that appears to show the altercation.

In the video, Sullivan appears to hit and headbutt a young man sitting behind the wheel of a car. It also shows other drivers getting out of their vehicles and trying to help, and you can even hear a woman shouting in Spanish, “He’s a kid, can’t you see?” referring to the victim’s youthful appearance.

KFOX14 spoke exclusively with the victim and his mother who filed charges against Sullivan.

The 18-year-old victim said he was trying to make his way through the crowded gas station towards the diesel pumps when he got stuck. Unable to get out of the way, he said Sullivan, who was driving behind him, became angry and belligerent.

“He just told me to keep going and he was yelling at me and cursing at me. He kept telling me to move but I was like, I can’t move,” the victim said.

Sullivan then became so impatient that he reportedly got out of his car and approached the victim.

“He walks up to my window and just hits me through the window, like right in the nose,” the victim said.

The 18-year-old victim’s mother then decided to record what was happening and took out her cell phone to record.

Although the victim suffered visible bruising to his face, he is glad things did not escalate.

“You get scared because it looks like he’s carrying a knife, I don’t know what his intentions are,” he said.

Both the victim and mother hoped at the time that Sullivan would be taken off the street as they feared he would do it again with someone else, arguing: “He walked up to me and hit me without hesitation, which made me feeling that if he had done this before, he would do it again.”

“That’s quite cowardly of him, he should have chosen a grown man,” the mother said.

The mother also thanked bystanders who tried to help, saying: “Lord knows what this man would have done if they hadn’t intervened.”

RELATED: Video: Road rage incident shows man hitting teen at El Paso Sam’s Club

KFOX14/CBS4 also spoke with Sergeant Robert Gomez of the El Paso Police Department, who said this violent incident should not have happened in the first place.

“There is really no excuse for this kind of behavior. There is a wide range of crimes that are committed on the roadway because of sometimes very simple and innocent mistakes that drivers make,” Gomez said.

Gomez also said that while there isn’t necessarily a charge for “road rage,” violators could face other charges.

“The crimes resulting from these types of incidents can range from murder to simple assault,” Gomez said.

The age of those involved can also play a role in the punishment.

“Depending on the age of the victim, yes, there could be additional charges; not only young people but also the elderly can change the severity of the crime,” Gomez said.

KFOX14/CBS4 also reached out to Sam’s headquarters to see what else could be done about employee traffic diversion during busy rush hours.

The company sent the following statement:

The safety of our employees and members is our top priority. Our staff followed proper protocols, responded immediately to the incident and notified local law enforcement.