SANDPOINT — A Sagle man was arrested for pointing a gun at another motorist during a traffic dispute on U.S. Highway 95 on Sunday.

Benjamin James Palmer is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Palmer made an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Monday via videoconferencing with the county jail.

Judge Debra Heise released Palmer on his own recognizance, but required him to surrender his firearms as a condition of release while the case is pending, court records show.

It was not immediately clear on Monday if Palmer would retain his own counsel or have an attorney appointed to him at public expense.

The altercation occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. at the southern end of Sagle’s four-lane commercial corridor.

The alleged victim in the case told a sheriff’s deputy that Palmer cut in front of him, which forced him to come to a complete stop in a right-hand lane. The man said Palmer exited his vehicle, leveled the pistol at him and shouted, “Are you (expletive deleted) crazy?” according to a probable cause affidavit.

The alleged victim said he feared for his safety and that of his family, prompting him to drive through the grass on the shoulder to extricate himself from the altercation, the affidavit said.

A passing motorist told a sheriff’s deputy that he witnessed the gun being pulled, according to court documents. Palmer admitted pulling his sport utility vehicle into the path of the alleged victim’s vehicle and pointing the gun at him, the affidavit said.

Palmer, 38, repeatedly told a sheriff’s deputy that he believed the alleged victim was reaching for a weapon, prompting him to draw his own, the affidavit said.

The reason Palmer sought to stop the other vehicle is not explained in court documents.