A man who allegedly brandished a handgun at a family during a road rage situation was charged with aggravated assault Tuesday, a Rutherford County Sheriff's deputy said.

Suspect James L. Dodd, 31, of Lebanon, was charged after he allegedly tried to scare the family after the road rage event about 10:30 a.m. on Interstate 24, said Deputy Michael Parsons.

Sheriff Robert Arnold said drivers who experience a road rage situation should call the closest law enforcement agency and allow officers to handle the situation rather than trying to handle the event themselves.

Deputy Parsons report Dodd was riding with his fiancée Jennifer Collier and driver Thomas Jones in a U-Haul on I-24 when Jones stopped in the lane of traffic after hearing sirens from an approaching ambulance, the deputy said. The stop almost called a collision with several cars attempting to pull out of the ambulance's way.

After the ambulance drove around them, a man in a black Ford Explorer pulled up, rolled down his window and yelled at them. Collier saw Dodd retrieve his handgun and pleaded with him to put it down but he waved the handgun out the window to scare the driver, Deputy Parsons reported.

Joshua and Nicole King told Parsons they yelled at Jones for stopping in the middle of the interstate.

"Mr. and Mrs. King advised that Mr. Dodd then brandished the handgun and began screaming at them," Deputy Parsons reported. "At that time, Mr. King drove away to protect his wife and three small children that were in his vehicle."

After speaking with Dodd, Parsons charged him with aggravated assault. Dodd was booked into Rutherford County Adult Detention Center where he is being held on $20,000 bond. A hearing is set March 26 in General Sessions Court.