Retired DEA  Agent Charged After Boynton Beach Road Rage Incident

Bradley Sosnowsky Charged, Victim In Critical Condition

BOYNTON BEACH, FL – Boca Post (BocaPost.com) — Bradley Sosnowsky, retired DEA Agent of Boynton Beach, has been arrested for shooting a man following a road rage incident that started on the I-95 off-ramp and Boynton Beach Boulevard on August 2nd, 2022.

Bradley Sosnowsky, a retired DEA agent of Boynton Beach, should know the difference between a life and death situation. According to sources, Sosnowsky has been a DEA agent, a Special Agent with the Secret Service, and NCIS since the early 1990s. Sosnowsky has most recently been employed as a firearms instructor with a focus on active shooter situations, by his law enforcement training.

Just before 4 PM on Monday afternoon, Sosnowsky called 911 to report that he was being attacked and that he shot someone. Boynton Beach Police have since reviewed Sosnowsky’s own dash cam video which tells a different story of how Thomas Vanantwerp, the 67-year-old victim, was shot.

According to investigators, the dash camera from Sosnowsky’s black 2020 Nissan Pathfinder captured the following details leading up to the confrontation and shooting. Both Victim Vanantwerp and Suspect Sosnowsky were exiting I-95 at Boynton Beach Blvd to travel westbound. The victim was driving a white Chevy 2500 pickup truck, while Sosnowsky was driving his vehicle and one vehicle behind the victim. Sosnowsky enters the middle lane of the three-lane roadway and accelerates rapidly as the victim begins to change lanes also into the middle lane still in front of Sosnowsky. Sasnowsky almost collides with the rear left corner of the victim’s vehicle and switches Into the left lane. He continues to accelerate rapidly. Sosnowsky continues to drive westbound on Boynton BeachBlvd, reaching a speed in excess of approximately 70 mph according to the dash camera. It does appear he|s traveling at a high speed as he passes all vehicles within his vicinity. Sosnawsky reaches the intersection of Boynton Beach Blvd and N Congress Ave and stops due to the red light. He is stationed east of the intersection in the left lane, There are two turning lanes on his left-hand side with no vehicles obstructing his pathway he chooses to enter these lanes, There is also space between his vehicle and a dark-colored vehicle in front of him.

According to the video, Sosnawsky can be heard making the following comments to himself, as he is the sole occupant of the vehicle he is operating and coming to a stop for the red light, “Came on, motherfucker. Let’s go. Come on. Fuck you, motherfucker.”

The victim, Vanantwerp, can be heard on the dash camera footage approaching Sosnowsky’s vehicle and making inaudible statements. Sosnowsky asks, “What’s that?” As the victim’s voice can be heard coming closer to the vehicle. The victim is then heard stating, “You motherfucker, you got a real fucking problem.” Sosnowsky responds, “Oh, yeah?” Vanantwerp states, “Yeah, motherfucker. Yeah, you gota real…” A gunshot can then be heard go off. The victim now yells. “Goddamn. Shit! Shit! Shit!” Sosnowsky can be heard opening his door and apparently exiting his vehicle. He states to the victim, “That’s what you get for trying to throw a punch to my face.”

The victim states, “I didn’t try to throw a punch to your face.” The argument persists between both of them. Sasnowsky continues to accuse Vanantwerp that he was going to hit him. Vanantwerp continues to yell back that he was not.

Sosnowsky calls 911 during this argument as both parties were still outside of their vehicles. Dispatch answers, but is connected to Sosnowsky’’s vehicle Bluetooth speakers.

The victim Is able to re-enter his vehicle and pulls into a small plaza located at the northeast corner of the intersection. Sosnowsky re-enters his vehicle and enters the shopping plaza while now on the phone with BBPD dispatch.

He tells dispatch he used his North American Arms .22 caliber revolver to shoot the victim because he was going to be attacked. BBPD officers arrive on the scene and begin rendering aid to the victim, Vanantwerp.

The video surveillance recovered from the red light camera and convenience store was also analyzed in conjunction with the dash camera audio. A review of this surveillance footage shows the victim approaching Sosnowsky’s vehicle as can be heard In the audio, however, it does not appear from the recovered video surveillance footage coinciding with their exchange that the victim was attempting to assault Sosnowsky, The victim is immediately shot when he reaches Sosnowsky’s driver’s door.

Investigators say that the victim did not make any threats during their exchange, nor had any weapons on him, He is shot upon getting closer to Sosnowsky without any real threat or violence being carried out against Sosnowsky. It was also noted that no weapons were found inside the victim’s vehicle when it was searched at the scene.

Sosnowsky is currently in the custody of the PBSO jail facing the following charges:

• AGGRAV BATTERY – PERSON USES A DEADLY WEAPON
• FIRING WEAPON – DISCHARGE FIREARM FROM VEHICLE

Following his retirement from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Sosnowsky has been no stranger to the court system in Palm Beach County. According to court records, his own sister has successfully filed for a protection order against him after he threatened to hurt her, according to the complaint.

Sosnowsky was also sentenced to 24 months probation in 2020 following a guilty plea to Information filed about an incident at an airport in 2018. According to the DOJ, “Sosnowsky entered an aircraft and airport area that serves an air carrier and foreign air carrier in violation of security requirements”.