Natrell Curtis, 30, appears in court following his arrest in connection with an August road rage shooting in Mesa. Inset: A mugshot of Curtis. (Maricopa County)
MESA, Ariz. - A Tempe high school football coach is out of a job and behind bars after police say he opened fire on another driver during a road rage clash in Mesa last month.
What we know:
Mesa police arrested 30-year-old Natrell Quante Curtis on Wednesday following a nearly two-week investigation into the August 21 shooting. Tempe Union High School District officials moved quickly to fire Curtis from his position as an assistant defensive line coach at Corona del Sol High School as soon as they learned of the arrest.
Officers were initially dispatched to Country Club Drive and Juanita Avenue just before 7 p.m. when frantic 911 callers reported a crash followed by gunshots. When officers got to the scene, they found scattered car parts, two spent bullet casings and a black metal cup sitting in the middle of the road with "Coach Curtis" engraved on it.
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Investigators pieced together what happened using footage from bus cameras, dashcams, witness cell phones and a nearby Home Depot. Video captured a dark sedan and a tan pickup truck fighting in traffic. At one point, police say the sedan driver pointed a gun at the truck and chased after it as it tried to get away. During the chase, the sedan smashed into another car, but the driver handed the victim his driver's license before taking off.
Detectives tracked Curtis down on Tuesday and found a handgun on him during his arrest. Police say Curtis admitted to cutting off the truck and shooting at it, confirming the gun officers found on him was the weapon used in the road rage incident.
What they're saying:
In a letter sent to parents, Corona del Sol Principal Nathan Kleve stressed that the shooting happened off-campus outside of school hours and had nothing to do with school activities. Curtis was a part-time employee who was only on campus for football duties.
What's next:
Curtis is currently locked up in the Maricopa County jail on a $50,000 bond. He faces four felony charges: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, endangerment, disorderly conduct with a weapon and discharging a gun inside city limits. He'll be back in court on Sept. 9.
Map of where police say the shooting occurred: