Umatilla man arrested after allegedly flashing replica gun on I-84
By Griffin Beach on Thursday, August 20th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
LA GRANDE – A Umatilla man was arrested on menacing charges Tuesday after allegedly flashing what appeared to be a gun at a driver on Interstate 84.
An Oregon State Police report said dispatch received a call from an Idaho man who reported that the driver of a Jeep Renegade was driving aggressively and brake-checking him near Umatilla/Union county line on I-84. The caller said the driver then displayed what appeared to be a firearm.
An OSP trooper pulled over the Jeep in La Grande, and an investigation revealed that the driver, Sterling Nix, 33, displayed what looked like a black pistol. Nix was arrested and booked into the Union County Jail on two counts of menacing.
A search warrant executed on the vehicle revealed the firearm in question was a CO2-powered pistol that closely resembled a handgun
Court records indicate that Nix was granted conditional release, with a plea hearing set for Oct. 27. He is no longer listed in Union County Jail records.
