A former mixed martial arts fighter who was arrested in a Coral Springs road rage incident was found not guilty Thursday.
Fernando Rodrigues, 32, was cleared of wrongdoing in the March 2012 incident by a Broward jury, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
Rodrigues, a former U.S. Marine and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor, had been facing at least 10 years in prison in the incident. He claimed he was acting in self-defense.
The incident happened on North State Road 7 when Rodrigues allegedly honked at two men, Michael Caccavella and Juan Uribe. who didn't move fast enough after a light turned green, the men told the paper.
Rodrigues was able to subdue the two men but was the only one arrested. He was charged with three counts of aggravated battery.
His attorney, David O. Markus, said Rodrigues let up on the men, who he claims were armed.
"He knew how to react. He could've killed them, but all he wanted to do was de-escalate the situation until the police arrived," Markus told the Sun-Sentinel.
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