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Tips identify Acworth lawyer in road rage video
An Acworth criminal defense attorney was arrested on criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct charges after community tips identified him as the man seen punching a truck in a Kennesaw road rage video, according to police.
KENNESAW, Ga. - An Acworth criminal defense attorney faces multiple charges after community tips led Kennesaw police to arrest him for a violent, videotaped road rage incident.
Kennesaw police investigation
What we know:
Forty-six-year-old Richard Craven was booked into the Cobb County Jail on Wednesday. Kennesaw Police say Craven is the man seen in a viral video hitting and punching the driver's side door and window of a truck last month.
The confrontation began in downtown Kennesaw while two men in a truck were traveling at the 25 mph speed limit, according to a passenger who asked to remain anonymous. Craven allegedly grew angry, honked his horn, yelled, passed the truck in a turn lane, and then got stuck at a red light.
"I guess because he got caught by the red light he decides to jump out, be aggressive," the passenger said. The passenger noted that Craven folded up his license plate before the attack, making it difficult for investigators to trace his vehicle.
Public assistance impact
What we don't know:
After police asked the community to give them a call if anyone recognized the man in the video, they say they received numerous tips. Police have not said exactly how many.
Neighborhood reaction
What they're saying:
Neighbors expressed shock upon learning that Craven, a practicing lawyer, faces charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct.
"Our community stepped up," Buchanan said. "We had multiple tips identifying the male as Mr. Richard Craven of Acworth."
"I'm not sure what he had going on that day but he was really angry," the passenger said.
Kiersten Bise, who manages Empire Tattoo about 100 yards from the scene, noted that people do crazy things in the heat of the moment without thinking of the consequences. "It just wasn't a smart thing to do," Bise said.
"You have to have patience," said Jocelyn Marin, a neighbor. "Since he's a lawyer he should know better."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Kennesaw Police Officer David Buchanan, who explained how public tips cracked the case, as well as first-hand interviews with a passenger inside the targeted truck, local business manager Kiersten Bise, and neighborhood residents Yandel Villalobos and Jocelyn Marin.