ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A man shot in what investigators described as a road rage confrontation along State Road A1A in Butler Beach is speaking publicly for the first time, sharing his account of the moments leading up to the gunfire that left him critically injured.
Terry Bishop, 50, spoke exclusively with News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee as he continues recovering from serious injuries that included losing one of his lungs. Bishop said he is expected to undergo another surgery on Friday.
Since the shooting, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office has released very few details about the shooting, which happened Tuesday near Palmetto Road and A1A South.
Deputies previously confirmed one person was detained after the shooting, but no arrests have been announced.
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Bishop, who is from the Dothan, Alabama, area, said he was in St. Johns County for a remodeling job when the confrontation unfolded.
According to Bishop, the incident began after another driver cut him off in traffic along A1A South.
“So when I swerved over, I flipped him off because I almost hit him because he pissed me off,” Bishop said.
Bishop acknowledged his own actions escalated the situation. He said the other driver motioned for him to pull over and continued following him down the roadway.
At one point during the confrontation, Bishop said he briefly showed the other driver he had a gun before putting it back into his holster.
“He motioned for me to pull over, so I pulled over, and then he drove past me, so I got back on the road and came around on the other side, and then I pulled my gun to show him I got a gun and leave me alone, and then I put it back in my holster and kept driving,” Bishop said.
Bishop said the confrontation escalated again after both vehicles stopped.
“I went over to talk to him, and then I slapped his window, and I said, ‘What do you want?’ Then he rolled down his window and shot me five times,” Bishop said.
Despite previously showing the driver his firearm, Bishop said he was no longer holding the weapon when the shooting happened.
“I do know when I confronted him, I did not have a pistol in my hand,” Bishop said. “I left it in my holster. I never pulled it again, so when he shot me, I was actually unarmed. And I had my arms in the air to show him I’m not a threat.”
According to Bishop, no charges have been filed so far “because they didn’t have all of the evidence yet.” He said investigators told him the case has now been turned over to the State Attorney’s Office for review.
As Bishop continues recovering, his family said the shooting has taken both a physical and emotional toll.
“So the first initial call was terrifying because he’s not just a dad, he’s a grandpa,” Bishop’s daughter, Rachel Bishop, said. “He has four grandkids, and some of them are babies.”
Although Bishop said he stands behind trying to protect his wife, he acknowledged he regrets how the confrontation escalated and hopes others learn from what happened before letting anger behind the wheel take over.
“Be careful when you approach a vehicle,” he said. “Or don’t (approach it). One of the two.”
News4JAX has continued reaching out to both the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office for additional information regarding the case and whether charges will be filed.
The Bishop family started this GoFundMe.