BY MIKE FUHRMAN

A Troutman town councilman is free on bond following his arrest last week on a charge that he resisted an Iredell County Sheriff’s Office deputy during a traffic stop following a reported road-rage incident.

Nicholas Jaroszynski, 39, of W. Thomas Street, Troutman, was taken into custody about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday after he refused to comply with an officer’s instructions to step out of his vehicle and pulled away from the officer, according to an arrest report.

An Iredell County magistrate who reviewed the evidence determined there was probable cause for the deputy to charge Jaroszynski with misdemeanor resist, delay or obstruct an officer. The councilman was released on a $1,000 secure bond.

Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said on Monday that he had reviewed the incident and found that the deputy acted appropriately and that there was sufficient evidence for Jaroszynski’s arrest. The investigation is continuing, he added.

Iredell County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Troutman Police Department officers were dispatched to the area of S. Main Street at Trackside Drive after a motorist called 911 to report a road rage incident on Wednesday evening.

The caller reported that the operator of a GMC Yukon had been driving recklessly and was waiving what appeared to be a handgun out the window, according to a Troutman Police Department report.

In an interview after the incident, the caller told officers he was not sure what the driver — who was later identified as Jaroszynski — was waving out the window.

The Troutman councilman, when he was questioned by officers, denied driving erratically and also denied allegations that he brandished a handgun during the incident.

Troutman officers subsequently found a Springfield handgun in a black holster in between the driver seat and center console in Jaroszynksi’s 2010 Yukon, according to the police report. He had a valid concealed carry permit, according to the ICSO.

Jaroszynski did not publicly comment about his arrest during Thursday’s council meeting.

Over the weekend he made a series of religious posts on his public Facebook page.

“The journey is trying,” the councilman posted, “the trials are immense, and it’s worth it to endure it all to receive the crown of Glory at the end of the race. God is sooo good. Thank-you for every fiery trial and every single trauma that led me to be closer to you Jesus.”

He is scheduled to appear in District Court in Mooresville on March 6.

Wednesday’s encounter with local law enforcement was not Jaroszynski’s first run in with local law enforcement.

On November 15, 2018, Troutman police charged Jaroszynksi with DWI after stopping him around 5:55 p.m. in the area of Wagner Street and W. Thomas Street, according to court records.

After he was taken into custody, his blood-alcohol level registered at 0.16, twice the legal limit for DWI in North Carolina. In that case, a caller reported that the driver of a tan pickup truck — later identified as Jaroszynski — had almost caused a head-on collision, according to court records. In the arrest report, the Troutman officer also noted that Jaroszynski continued driving after he signaled for him to pull over.

He pleaded guilty on August 8, 2019, and received a 60-day suspended jail sentence, was ordered to pay fines and court costs totaling $660 and required to complete 24 hours of community service. He was placed on non-supervised probation for 12 months.

Jaroszynski successfully completed an outpatient substance abuse program in Mooresville following the DWI arrest, according to court records.

“His level of motivation and interest in improving his current life circumstances greatly reduces his risk of future legal issues,” certified addiction specialist Michael E. Rife wrote in a report for the court in that case.

However, according to Iredell County Detention Center records, Jaroszynski was also arrested on September 25, 2021, for nonpayment of child support and again on April 28, 2022, for violation of a domestic violence protection order.

Jaroszynksi was elected to the Town Council on November 7, 2023, by the slimmest margin. In a four-candidate race for two seats, the New York native finished second with 144 votes, a single vote ahead of the third-place finisher, incumbent George Harris.