LANCASTER TWP — A Forestville man driving southbound on Interstate 79 allegedly pointed a handgun at another motorist on the morning of Sept. 15.

A criminal complaint against Devan Ace Ruff, 25, was filed by state police on Thursday for charges of simple assault and terroristic threats directed at Michael Kokolis, according to a police affidavit.

While in the left lane and passing Ruff, who was driving a flatbed tow truck in the right lane, Kokolis said he looked over and saw a handgun pointed “directly at him through the open drivers' window,” according to his phone report of the incident to state police around noon on Sept. 15.

Kokolis slowed down to get behind the truck and see the name printed there, and when both vehicles were stopped in the middle of the road at the same time, both drivers exited their vehicles and Ruff yelled at Kokolis, according to court documents.

Afterward, both drivers returned to their vehicles and drove away, and Kokolis was able to obtain the license plate number for the tow truck. State troopers advised Kokolis not to follow the truck and to wait for them to arrive, but Kokolis said he had a wedding to attend and left the scene.

Trooper David Loeffler later went to Ruff's home to question him about the incident. Ruff denied pointing a gun at Kokolis and said he pointed a mechanical device which, at the distance between the vehicles, could have been mistaken for a firearm.

Ruff said he was trying to scare Kokolis, who Ruff said was driving at a high rate of speed and endangering other motorists.

Court records indicated that Ruff owns two semi-automatic pistols, one of which matches the description of a silver stainless steel slide and black frame which Kokolis provided. Ruff told Loeffler that he had a pistol matching the description Kokolis provided in the vehicle that day.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4.