Ocean Springs bicyclist arrested after firing into vehicle, police say

A bicyclist was arrested Saturday night and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into a vehicle after what police are calling a road rage incident in Ocean Springs.

According to a news release from the Ocean Springs Police Department, William Ernest Merritt, 50, fired into a vehicle driven by Joah Gay, 21, around 9 p.m. in the area of Porter Avenue and Williams Street. Gay, who was shot in the arm, was taken to Biloxi Merit Health and is in stable condition.

Upon arriving to the scene, police say, Merritt told them he was struck by the vehicle driven by Gay while he was riding his bike. In their news release, OSPD said its investigation determined that Merritt first fired into Gay’s vehicle before being struck.