Road rage descended into a temper tantrum complete with pretend guns Tuesday afternoon along South Camino del Rio.

The incident began when one driver was cut off near Walmart.

“They were side-by-side with one another for quite awhile down (South) Camino del Rio with their little road rage or temper tantrum they were having,” said Lt. Ray Shupe with the Durango Police Department.

One driver flipped off the other driver, and the second driver responded by emulating a gun with his hand.

It escalated when one driver pretended to shoot the other with shooting sticks, which are similar to a tripod.

The other driver mistook the shooting sticks for a rifle and called the police, Shupe said.

Police did a felony stop, meaning they drew their guns believing a shotgun was on scene, Shupe said.

“But it was quickly determined that there weren’t any guns involved,” he said.

Neither party wanted to press charges, Shupe said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com