Man threatens driver with gun at drive-thru

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested a Sarasota man for threatening another driver with a gun in the drive-thru of the McDonald’s at 3828 Bee Ridge Road.

Restaurant employees called 911 at 2:47 p.m. Thursday to report that a man in a white Mercedes sedan had just driven off after threatening to kill the driver of a brown car and aiming a gun at him during heated exchange.

Witnesses say the suspect, who was identified as John Widmann III of Sarasota, was apparently upset about how the man pulled into the drive-thru lane. During Widmann’s tirade, he also pointed his gun toward a McDonald’s employee with a group of juveniles nearby.

Deputies stopped Widmann’s vehicle near Beneva Road and Gulf Gate Drive and took him into custody without incident. Deputies located a .38 caliber revolver and ammunition on the passenger seat.

Widmann is charged with aggravated assault and improper exhibition of a firearm.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].