Montgomery County Sheriff Disarms Gunman During Road Rage Incident in Magnolia

Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle personally intervened in a road rage incident on Wednesday afternoon, April 30, 2025, disarming a suspect who allegedly threatened another driver with a handgun just minutes before he was scheduled to attend a public dedication ceremony.

The incident occurred around 12:15 p.m. near the intersection of FM 1488 and FM 1774 in Magnolia. Sheriff Doolittle was sitting in traffic on FM 1488, en route to a ceremony to officially rename the West Montgomery County Annex in honor of retired Sheriff Tommy Gage, when he witnessed a heated confrontation between two drivers on the roadway.

According to investigators, one of the drivers exited his vehicle and began physically attacking the other motorist. The situation escalated when the suspect produced a firearm and pointed it at the victim in an apparent threat. Sheriff Doolittle immediately exited his vehicle and approached the scene. He identified himself, disarmed the suspect without incident, and secured the weapon while detaining the man at the scene.

Responding law enforcement officers from the Magnolia Police Department arrived shortly thereafter and took custody of the suspect, who was identified as 55-year-old Vernon James Cradier of Magnolia. Cradier was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. He was transported to the Sheriff Tommy Gage Magnolia Annex Jail for booking. No shots were fired during the incident, and no injuries were reported.

Following the incident, Sheriff Doolittle resumed his route and arrived at the annex dedication ceremony, where the building was renamed to honor Sheriff Gage’s decades of service to the Montgomery County community.

“This is just another example of Sheriff Doolittle’s commitment to public safety and being on the front lines with his deputies,” said Lt. Scott Spencer of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. “His quick action and calm leadership helped deescalate a volatile situation and likely prevented a tragic outcome.”

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office commended Sheriff Doolittle’s swift response and confirmed that the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.