An Oregon man who was in a westbound Subaru when he allegedly pointed a .44 magnum handgun at a motorist on I-90 Sunday was released from jail after posting $20,000 bail.

Matthew R. Rudolph, 31, of Hood River, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault after allegedly pointing a handgun directly at two occupants of a westbound Ford pickup truck at 4:15 p.m. in a construction zone between Blue Creek Bay and Mullan Trail Road, east of Coeur d’Alene.

When Rudolph was arrested by Idaho State Police 15 minutes later in Post Falls, troopers found the Taurus firearm in the backseat of the white Subaru, an ounce of marijuana and a bottle of THC oil, police said.

Rudolph told police that the occupants of the red Ford first pointed a gun at him, prompting him to reach for his .44 and return the favor.

Rudolph was charged in First District Magistrate Court with two felony counts of aggravated assault, possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia. He pleaded not guilty to the two misdemeanors, but will have to return to court for an arraignment before he can enter a plea on the felony charges.

At Monday’s hearing Rudolph urged Magistrate James Combo to release him from jail on his own recognizance, or to set a bail amount low enough to ensure he can quickly pay it.

“I need to be able to get out of here today,” Rudolph said. “I personally would love to bail out today. That is my main goal.”

Public defenders said Rudolph, who works at a ski resort and as a bartender, would have no problem returning to Idaho for his court hearings and would sign an extradition order.

Combo set a probable cause hearing within 14 days.

Rudolph told troopers before his arrest that the driver of the Ford had refused to let him pass the long line of cars entering the I-90 construction zone east of Coeur d’Alene. After leaving the construction zone, Rudolph said he began passing the Ford when the driver pointed a gun at him.

“Rudolph said it appeared the adult male driver of the red pickup had a handgun in his hand and aimed it at him,” Cpl. Mike Lininger wrote in his report.

State police checked the Ford and found no firearms. The 54- and 55-year-old occupants said they feared for their lives. One of them “was still physically shaking as I interviewed her during my investigation,” Lininger wrote in his report.