Palm Coast man pointed gun at person in driveway, thought it was his neighbor: Deputies

PALM COAST, Fla. - A Palm Coast man was arrested Saturday for pointing a gun at a person who was using his driveway — someone he thought was his neighbor, with whom he has had previous arguments, deputies said. 

According to the two victims, 60-year-old Terry Vetsch approached them from his home while yelling armed with a gun after one of the victims briefly used his driveway. 

Deputies said Vetsch used the gun to strike the victim's backseat window before the other victim approached him and the two began to argue. Vetsch then pointed his gun at the victim's head and continued to argue with them. When deputies arrived at Vetsch's home, he said he thought the victims were his neighbor.

Surveillance video of the incident showed one of the victims following Vetsch toward his property, but they had not trespassed when Vetsch pointed the gun at their head. 

Vetsch was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. 

Credit: Flagler County Sheriffs Office

"Although Florida does have a stand-your-ground law, in order to use or to suggest the use of deadly force, you have to be confronted with it," said Chief David K. Williams with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. "The fact that the neighbor and the suspect got into a verbal altercation, even if she had followed him onto his property, she didn't pose any threat of death or serious injury."

Chief Williams said while the video did corroborate Vetsch's version of events, it also did strengthen the case that he had committed a crime.

"Don't take matters of law into your own hands because you could end up in jail," he added.

FOX 35 reached out to Vetsch by phone Wednesday afternoon, but he did not want to comment.  Court documents show Vetsch pleaded not guilty to the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. A judge has ordered him to have no contact with the victims and to surrender his weapons and ammo.