Man who opened fire in road rage dispute served state prison term for earlier gun killing

July 10, 2024

A felon previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter with a gun is facing an attempted murder charge in San Francisco after opening fire again during a road rage dispute on the Bay Bridge.

Adrian Emerson, 41, has pleaded ‘not guilty’ to eight felony charges stemming from the July 1 incident.

Around 6:30am, say police, the drivers of two vehicles traveling westbound on the Bay Bridge became embroiled in a “merging conflict” while passing through the Treasure Island tunnel.

Emerson, holding a gun across his body, fired through the open passenger window of his Honda Accord directly into the victim’s GMC Yukon. A bullet entered the Yukon’s passenger window and exited the driver’s window, missing the driver by inches but covering him in shattered glass.

The victim was hospitalized with multiple injuries.

The defendant was arrested one day later by Contra Costa County Sheriff’s deputies while driving the Honda concerned in Richmond. A loaded .45 caliber Glock 30 semi-automatic pistol was found in the car.

The Glock 30 found during a search of Emerson’s Honda Accord

The arrest was trumpeted by Governor Gavin Newsom as a success for newly-installed ‘Flock’ cameras which capture and store license plate data and vehicle characteristics to allow rapid identification and tracking by law enforcement.

“Through new state-of-the-art technology and the deployment of officers, California is doubling down in our efforts to keep our communities safe,” said Newsom. “I thank the California Highway Patrol and allied agencies for their persistent work to secure accountability in this case and help ensure that Californians are safe and secure.”

Emerson has previous convictions for selling cocaine in Alameda county (2005) and San Francisco (2006) plus a conviction for voluntary manslaughter with a firearm in Contra Costa County (2007) – after a man was shot dead in San Pablo – from for which he was sentenced to a state prison term.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Simon Frankel has refused to release the defendant. He will next appear in Department 20 of San Francisco Superior Court to set a date for his preliminary hearing.