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NATCHEZ — Thanks to a Good Samaritan, a Natchez man is in the custody of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office after assaulting a person at a Natchez gas station, and then following that person, leading to an incident where shots were fired.

Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Ricky Cardell McGruder, 36, at a home on Wilkinson Road, thanks to information provided by the Samaritan.

On Saturday afternoon, a green Chevrolet Tahoe pulled into a gas station on U.S. 61 South in Natchez, according to a press release from the ACSO. The driver of the Tahoe, McGruder, got out and walked over to another vehicle, a Mustang, and began assaulting the front-seat passenger. The Good Samaritan witnessed the assault before the Mustang was able to back out of the parking lot and get away.

McGruder allegedly got back into his Tahoe and began to follow the Mustang. The Samaritan followed the Tahoe into the parking lot of a business on Colonel Pitchford Boulevard, where both the Mustang and McGruder were, according to the press release.

When the Samaritan pulled into the parking lot to aid the occupants of the Mustang, McGruder allegedly confronted the Samaritan and handguns were brandished. The Samaritan pulled out of the parking lot trying to leave and McGruder followed him and fired at least one round from a handgun, deputies said.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Natchez Police Department responded to the scene and talked with the Good Samaritan and the other two occupants of his vehicle. The ACSO Criminal Investigation Division responded and began to investigate the incident.

Deputies were able to identify McGruder as the driver of the Tahoe and obtained arrest warrants for three counts of aggravated assault and use of a deadly weapon.

On Sunday, deputies located McGruder’s Tahoe at a residence on Wilkinson Road. McGruder was at the residence and taken into custody without incident.

McGruder is currently being housed at the Adams County Jail and charged with three counts of aggravated assault.