Tempe road rage victim laid to rest as alleged shooter avoids homicide charge

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. - Steven Bevan, 29, was laid to rest on Saturday, July 19, after being killed in an apparent road rage shooting in Tempe earlier this month.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced that the man who reportedly shot Steven will not be charged with murder in the case.

What they're saying:

Family and friends gathered at Crossroads Church of Casa Grande for a service filled with worship and mourning as they said goodbye to the son, brother and father.

"My son, the day has come to say goodbye, and even though I know it's just your body, and you're present with the Lord, it doesn't make it any easier," his mother, Anabel Bevan.

Through tears, she shared a slideshow of memories that ran through her mind of her late son.

His older brother, Eric Bevan, spoke of Steven's positive impact, saying, "He always put a smile on your face when you were down, even if he was having the worst day, he was always there to cheer you up."

The backstory:

Steven died on July 1 in a road rage shooting in Tempe, police said.

Court documents show Steven abruptly stopped his car in front of Dustin Jackson's truck and then exited his vehicle, reportedly with his hands up. Both men had their children in their respective vehicles.

A grand jury declined to indict Jackson on homicide and weapons-related charges, a decision Steven's family is still processing.

"I don't agree with what either party did, but unfortunately we're here today to bury my little brother, and he gets to go home," Eric said.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office released this statement about the grand jury's decision.

"After a full presentation including videos of the events involved, the grand jury declined to indict on homicide and weapons-related charges. They returned an indictment on Possession or Use of Narcotic Drugs and Possession or Use of Drug Paraphernalia."

Court documents reveal that Steven exited his car and walked toward Jackson's truck. Steven reportedly approached Jackson's vehicle with his hands raised before Jackson shot and killed him.

FOX 10 spoke with Josh Logan, founder of Guardian Training and Consulting, for his perspective on the grand jury's decision not to indict Jackson on homicide or weapons-related charges. Logan, who teaches courses on firearm safety, use of force, and Arizona's gun laws, emphasized that a grand jury must consider all facts and evidence, not just the emotions surrounding a death.

"When the general public sees this, there's an outrage, and that's perfectly normal," Logan said.

He explains more about Arizona's legalities when it comes to incidents like this.

"They have to create a weight scale and say, you know, based on those factors, is it self-defense?" Logan said. "And that's why he was not indicted, more than likely. We have our Title 13, which is our Arizona Revised Statutes, that's our criminal code, and then Chapter 4 possesses all of our self-defense statutes under Title 13. So the grand jury, again, without being presumptuous, agreed there's some type of self-defense in this case."

He also says the fact that children were in both vehicles may have also played into the grand jury's decision.

"You're no longer protecting yourself or your significant other, but your more than likely defenseless child," Logan said.

Logan not only consults on legal cases involving firearms but also leads courses regarding firearm safety and use of force.

Arizona is an open-carry state, so the presence of a gun in Jackson's car was legal. But as Logan points out, the right to bear arms does come with a huge responsibility.

"I have to explain to people that you're just as criminally and civilly liable for the knowledge you don't know as you do know," Logan said.

Logan noted a rising frequency of road rage incidents in Arizona over the past decade or so, advising that avoidance is the best way to handle any road rage exchange.

"The most difficult emotional decision you can make is simply letting it go and driving away. The next thing I get is, 'Well, what if I'm blocked in?' Well then at that point, if you're blocked in, the safest place you can be is in your locked car with the windows rolled up. We always get the 'Well what if then, what if then, what's the next step?' Well, what if they keep banging on your window? Well at that point, the safest place you can be is still in your car," Logan said.

What's next:

At the time of the shooting, Jackson reportedly had drugs in his vehicle and is now facing possession charges. His trial is expected to start in November.