Man arrested in Tucson road-rage killing claims self defense

A man arrested in a deadly road rage encounter last week in Tucson told deputies he shot an unarmed driver in self defense, court records show.

The alleged shooter, Jason Jameson, 41, was one of several people who called to report the afternoon shooting March 15 on East Snyder Road just east of North Houghton Road, according to an interim complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court.

Jameson told dispatchers in the call to 911 that he was the person who fired the weapon. Jameson also told dispatchers it was his first road rage incident and that he pulled his gun after the other driver punched him in the face, the court document shows.

That driver, Jeffrey Honer, 47, had turned his back to Jameson when he was shot, the document says.

The mortally wounded Honer was found by deputies on the pavement. Jameson’s attorney, Josh Hamilton, said Jameson, himself, had tried to save Honer, but the man died at the scene.

“On the date of this incident, Mr. Jameson was headed home, and was within just blocks of reaching his house, when another individual (later identified as Honer) unexpectedly began arguing with him and acting aggressively towards him,” Hamilton said of his client’s statement of events. “(Honer) stopped his vehicle directly in front of Mr. Jameson’s vehicle, got out, approached Mr. Jameson as he sat in his vehicle, and made threats.”

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Hamilton said that after being punched by Honer, his client felt his life was placed in jeopardy. He was seated and buckled inside his vehicle as he was punched and made a “split-second decision to use his firearm to defend himself.”

After neutralizing the perceived threat, Jameson called for help and provided life-saving measures on Honer until medics arrived, his lawyer said.

Hamilton noted that his client was cooperative with law enforcement and has no criminal history.

He described Jameson as a professional, a husband, a father to two young children, a homeowner and a longtime Tucson resident. He formerly served in the U.S. Navy, Hamilton said.

“This case is tragic but it is not criminal,” Hamilton said. “Mr. Jameson acted lawfully and justifiably, and was well-within his rights to use deadly force to defend himself in accordance with Arizona law. We are confident that once the full facts and circumstances come to light, the evidence will preclude any finding of wrongdoing here.”

Jameson was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and booked in the Pima County jail. Bond has been set at $1 million.