TALLULAH, LA — A 56-year-old Tallulah man is facing multiple felony charges after police say he threatened residents with a rifle and fired a shot during a heated confrontation that was caught on video following a hit-and-run crash.
According to the Madison Journal, officers responded to 600 LaSalle Street around 4:51 p.m. after reports of a driver fleeing the scene of a collision. The suspect, identified as Robert Ray Fortenberry, was initially driving a black SUV when he allegedly caused the crash before leaving the area. Authorities say he later returned in a silver Ford pickup truck, where the incident escalated.
Video footage of the confrontation shows Fortenberry entering the residents’ driveway and engaging in a heated argument. The residents repeatedly asked him to leave their property, but he refused, at one point making racially charged remarks.
At one point, Fortenberry returned to his truck, retrieved an AR-15 style rifle, and walked back onto the property. The man recording can be seen ducking behind a vehicle while holding a handgun. Moments later, Fortenberry fired one round from the rifle before fleeing the scene in his truck.
Police quickly located Fortenberry at another address on LaSalle Street and recovered the firearm. He was arrested and booked into the Madison Parish Jail on charges including eight counts of illegal use of a weapon, eight counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, eight counts of hate crimes, and one count of terrorizing. His bond was set at $215,000.
The resident holding the camera showed a great deal of restraint. While he may have been legally justified in using his firearm once Fortenberry advanced with the rifle—especially after a shot was fired—he chose not to. That decision kept him from having to deal with the personal and legal aftermath of a shooting. It’s a reminder that while you may be in the right to defend yourself, it isn’t always the best option if you can avoid pulling the trigger.
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