Pass man sentenced to 40 years in 2021 road rage incident

A Pass Christian man was sentenced to 40 years in prison stemming from a 2021 road rage incident.

42-year-old Rudy Desmond Toler was sentenced last week by Judge Christopher Schmidt.

Testimony in the January trial revealed that Toler threatened and shot at four Hancock High students who were traveling to Biloxi to attend a fair on June 12, 2021.

Toler tailgated them and then shot at them before taking off, leading police on a high-speed chase from Long Beach into Gulfport.

As seen on body-cam footage, Toler shot at officers during the pursuit, then stopped his vehicle and pointed his weapon at the Long Beach officers, who both shot at Toler. One bullet grazed his head, after which he dropped his weapon and surrendered.

Toler’s defense was that he was depressed and suicidal at the time of the incident and that he did not intend to hurt the kids, but only intended to scare them. He also said he did not shoot at the pursuing officers, but shot at the ground, in an attempt to commit “suicide by cop.”

“It’s been said that every choice comes with a consequence. You cannot escape the consequences of your choices, whether you like them or not. In the end, we all make choices, and our choices make us,” Schmidt said.

“The jury’s decision in this case is a result of four high school students, who had the presence of mind to call 911 when faced with danger, and the courage to come to court and testify against their assailant,” Schmidt continued. “I cannot say enough about the brave officers of the Long Beach and Gulfport Police Departments, who came to their aid, put themselves in harm’s way, and performed their duty to protect and serve with the utmost professionalism.”