You just want to grab a pub sub and a gallon of milk. Instead, you end up dodging a flying compact SUV and watching bullets puncture a car hood right next to the shopping cart corral.
That is exactly the surreal scene that played out at a Publix parking lot in Largo, Florida. What started as a completely ordinary argument over a parking space ended with an elderly driver behind bars and a vehicle with a fresh bullet hole.
We see these headlines all the time, but the details of this specific Largo case show just how quickly everyday stress transforms into a felony aggravated assault charge.
The Shocking Seconds at the Largo Publix
The confrontation happened right around 1 p.m. at the Publix located at 3825 E. Bay Drive. Richard Clevenstine, a 74-year-old local resident, got into a heated dispute with another shopper over who had the right to a parking space.
Arguments like this happen a thousand times a day across America. Usually, someone flips the bird, someone mutters an insult, and both parties move on with their afternoon. Not this time.
According to the Largo Police Department arrest affidavit, Clevenstine decided to use his white Kia Soul as a weapon. Investigators say he intentionally and aggressively drove the vehicle up over a curb and straight toward the other man.
The victim told police he honestly believed his life was in imminent danger. He pulled out a handgun and fired a single round directly into the hood compartment of Clevenstine's advancing SUV. Immediately after pulling the trigger, the victim dialed 911.
What the Surveillance Cameras Revealed
When the police arrived, they did not have to rely solely on conflicting stories. Multiple surveillance cameras across the Publix property captured the entire encounter.
The video footage painted a clear picture for investigators. It showed Clevenstine targeting the victim with his car, forcing the man to quickly jump out of the way to avoid being run over.
When detectives questioned Clevenstine, he admitted to driving his vehicle within a mere six to eight inches of the victim. That tiny margin of error is the difference between a scare tactic and a fatality. Because Clevenstine used a multi-ton vehicle to intentionally terrify the pedestrian, prosecutors slapped him with aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, which is a third-degree felony in Florida.
Fortunately, no one was injured by the vehicle or the single gunshot. Clevenstine was booked into the Pinellas County Jail. Detectives noted they do not believe he intended to kill the pedestrian, but using a car to intimidate someone carries massive legal consequences regardless of intent.
The High Cost of Parking Lot Rage
This incident highlights a massive blind spot for most drivers. Your vehicle is legally considered a deadly weapon the second you use it to threaten someone.
Many people think assault requires physical contact. It does not. Legally, assault is intentionally creating a well-founded fear in another person that violence is imminent. When you add a car to the mix, it becomes aggravated assault.
If you find yourself in a escalating dispute in a commercial parking lot, you need to change your strategy immediately to protect your freedom and your safety.
- Surrender the space. It feels incredibly frustrating to let an aggressive driver "win," but no parking spot near the storefront is worth a trip to the county jail or the emergency room.
- Assume everyone is armed. Florida law allows citizens to carry concealed firearms under specific legal frameworks, and as this incident shows, a driver using a car as a weapon can easily trigger a justifiable self-defense shooting response.
- Let the store cameras do the work. If a driver damages your car or threatens you, do not engage. Walk away, note the license plate, and ask store management or security to pull the security tapes for law enforcement.
The victim in this case avoided injury because he was alert enough to evade the oncoming Kia Soul and had the means to stop the threat. For Clevenstine, a split-second decision driven by anger resulted in a felony arrest record that will follow him for the rest of his life. Next time someone cuts you off for a choice parking spot, take a deep breath, drive to the back of the lot, and value your freedom over your pride.
