Comedian Arrested for Road Rage

Joe Antonacci, a comedian and boxing ring announcer, was arrested for an alleged road rage incident in April. The New Jersey native was arrested in Elmhurst, Illinois after allegedly confronting a 27-year-old driver. Police said they obtained a video of the incident.

On the afternoon of April 29, a man called police to report that a driver, identified as Antonacci, got out of his car on Rought 83, according to a police report Patch obtained. Video of the incident allegedly showed Antonacci cursing at the victim. “P—, get out of the f—ing car,” Antonacci allegedly yelled at the man. He tried to reach into the victim’s window, but the victim closed it, police said. Antonacci then spat at the man’s car.

The victim reported that the suspect had Bob Rohrman Auto Group license plate placards. A detective used this clue to find the suspect, but the detective reached a dead end. Police closed the case in early June, but a Streamwood police officer saw the road rage incident alert a week later. The officer recognized Antonacci and contacted Elmhurst police, who checked the comedian’s Facebook page. Since Antonacci resembled the victim’s description of the suspect, they went to his apartment in Oakbrook Terrace.

When police interviewed Antonacci at his apartment, the comedian said he didn’t remember the incident, according to the arrest report. Police continued questioning him, and Antonacci changed his story. He accused the victim of flipping him off, so he stopped his car and yelled at the man to “Be a man” and confront him. Antonacci remembered tapping the victim’s window but claimed he did not remember reaching into the victim’s car. He also reluctantly admitted to spitting on the car, police said.

Antonacci later admitted he “thought a lot about the incident,” especially after he learned a woman was recently killed in another road rage incident. He told police he “should have been smarter.” However, he still believed the 27-year-old was the aggressor for flipping him off, brake-checking him, and honking his horn. But Antonacci said he was also an aggressor by getting out of his car, police said.

Antonacci was charged with assault and criminal defacement in connection with a road rage incident and released on bond. He is due back in court on July 25, reports BoxingScene. Antonacci is nicknamed “Gentleman Joe” and has hosted boxing events on almost every platform. He hosted ESPN2’s Friday Night Fight series and is the ring announcer for Main Events in New Jersey. He has also supported charities for retired and disabled boxers in need.