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Police: Man Used Slingshot To Fire Marbles At Speed Camera

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- Speed cameras are being vandalized in Howard County. The latest incident lands a driver in jail and he spoke to WJZ.

Adam May has the interview.

The driver tells WJZ he was simply fed up and he didn't realize he could get in this much trouble.

A speed camera vehicle parked near Manor Woods Elementary School in Howard County was attacked by a slingshot and marbles on Tuesday.

"Yeah, I did it about 5 o'clock," 50-year-old Bruce May said.

Bruce May spoke candidly to WJZ about the incident.

"I was having a bad day, and I'd gotten tickets from this before in the past month, and I had not gotten a speeding ticket in 20 years," he said. "I had enough. It's such a money grab. I didn't know anyone was in the van."

The operator wasn't hurt. In fact, he confronted the slingshot shooter on Frederick Road, then called police.

Bruce May now faces charges of second-degree assault, destruction of property and reckless endangerment.

Police take the incident very seriously.

"This is very concerning because this is our third incident this month, and in one of the incidents, rocks were thrown, breaking the back window and also striking one of the operators," Sherry Llewellyn, spokesperson for the Howard County Police Department, said.

"Hindsight is 20/20, and you gotta maintain your temper," Bruce May said.

Bruce May says he already apologized to the speed cam operator.

Adam May: "I think a lot of people are frustrated by these speed cameras, but they would disagree with what you did."
Bruce May: "Oh, I disagree with what I did. That was a very stupid thing to do and I'm gonna pay for it. A lot more than $40 a ticket."

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. Bruce May is worried officials will try to make an example out of him.

Howard County Police don't have a suspect in the other two incidents.

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