I wasn't the one driving recklessly that morning. >> Okay. No, you were the person that shot somebody in the back of the head, right? >> I'm the person who saved my life, who defended myself, sir. >> It's the early morning commute in Central Florida. The sun hasn't broken through yet. Orlando resident Ricky Johnson is driving eastbound on Colonial Drive and comes to a stop at a red light. That's when he hears a familiar but out of place sound. He whips a U-turn, finds a car jumped up on the sidewalk, and makes the call. >> Yeah, there's a I heard a gunshot, and then I saw a car parked on the side of the street up here. >> All right, what street? >> Lake Balden. >> All right, cool. You on Lake Baldwin lane? >> Yes, ma'am. [music] >> But I did hear I was going I was going east and I heard gunshots. So I turn around and [snorts] now this car looks like he just hit this blade post like >> How long ago did you hear the gunshot? >> A second probably about two seconds ago or something like that. Right way right way right way right way right way right way right way right way right way right way right before I called you I made you came back >> and did you see anything or you only heard it >> I heard it but there's somebody in the car right now and they I can't see them they're laying down. What kind of following? >> Just for signal 14, there was a DAV being pushed into the plaza just east of here. Might be involved >> kind of motor 30. I got signal 30. I need >> inside the white Chevrolet Impala lay 30-year-old David Sly. He is unresponsive, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head. The first deputy on the scene immediately begins life-saving measures. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, police tell Ricky to move his car out of the intersection. He pulls into a nearby lot. Right behind him, a dark Hyundai Elantre rolls in and parks. The driver steps out. Ricky casually asks the guy if he saw anything. The man's response causes him to alert the police immediately. >> That guy right there. >> He said he did. >> Yeah. The complaint said it happened pretty much right here at the intersection of Lakeland. >> Go on the ground right now. >> No, don't grab [ __ ] Hey, clear channel. I'm challenging one possible involved. >> Give me some more units over here. >> On your back, sir. >> [ __ ] reach for anything and I will shoot you. You understand that? >> Yes, sir. >> It's going to be a Hispanic male, blue shirt, khaki pants. We're securing. >> All right. County 2215. We have one secured. CPR is also started for that victim. Weapons on you. Have >> you seen on the passenger seat of that gray car >> right here? Yes, sir. >> All right. Whoever is coming here, go to the Best Buy. Hold that car. >> This is 26-year-old Nicholas Kosiso. He didn't run. He didn't fight. After pulling the trigger, he simply circled back and surrendered to the flashing lights. It looks like the tragic end to a classic road rage dispute. The kind we see every day. A swerve, a cut off, a blaring horn that boils over. Nearly a third of Americans admit [music] to letting their temper snap behind the wheel, but it rarely ends in homicide. David Sly was just trying to get to the first day of a new full-time job. a certified forklift operator with a wife and a one-year-old boy. He saw this Monday as a fresh start. Instead, he crossed paths with Keroskeo. And Keroskeo wasn't just a stressed commuter. He was a former army infantryman who served as a guardian angel trained to neutralize [music] threats. When tempers flared at that red light, Kerisko didn't see a frustrated driver. He saw a tactical situation. Deputies detain Keriskia without incident and transport him to the Orlando Police Department for questioning. There he is placed in interview room 6. At this stage of the investigation, the detectives goal is simple. Establish a baseline account of what happened. Rather than challenge Keroskeo's version of events, they allow him to speak freely and document his narrative. >> Hi, John. >> Nicholas. >> Nicholas. >> Forest. >> Forest. Um, we're with the Orlando Police Department. We're investigating everything that happened today. Okay. Yes, sir. >> Just real quick, everything we discuss and he's going to take a lot of notes. I'm going to kind of write down little things here and there as we talk about it. But [snorts] before we go into anything, because this is a criminal investigation, I do have to read your rights. You understand that? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. You have the right to remain silent. Do you understand? >> Yes, sir. >> You understand your rights? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. All right. So, the easiest way to go about this is just tell me what happened. >> Um, so pretty much I don't know if you guys were there where the vehicle was found afterwards. >> We have We have been there. >> Okay. So, I talk with my hands. >> That's fine. You're totally fine, man. >> If this is the road and this is where we found him, we were at the light prior. >> So, you were on Colonial. >> Yes, sir. Okay. >> So, probably 200 meters before he found the vehicle. >> Okay. >> Max, >> you said at the light prior. So that was uh Lake Baldwin Lane, I believe it is, >> I believe. So, >> okay. >> Um, so the full story, as I remember, I was in the far left lane. Um, and I just seen a car pull out. Well, there was a red light, so I was slowing down and a car cut across two lanes, stops, like not really straight, but in front of me. >> Okay. >> So, I didn't have to slam my brakes. I just had to step my step on them a little harder. >> Um, so >> you were you were driving still at the time, >> right? Slowing down for the red light uh over here. >> Okay. Um there was probably like two cars in front of him. So three cars total in front of me before the light. Um and yeah, it's not heavy traffic, but moderate traffic. A lot of people going to work, I guess. Um, from there, um, yeah, when I, um, slam my slam, when I press my brakes harder, I go ahead, I flash him with my light and I tap my horn, kind of like an indicator, like by the way he pulled in front of somebody. And then from there, like he got visibly upset, like he lowered his window. his car was still at an angle [clears throat] because he didn't have enough space to straighten out. Um, so because of that, he was able to see me clearly. >> Do you remember what kind of car this was? >> It was a white car. Uh, sedan. >> Okay. >> Four-door. >> Um, white or green. Then from there, what happened? Pretty much that was it until the light turned green, which was very shortly after, maybe another three or four seconds after I honked my horn. And then from then he lowered his window um his driver's side window. >> Um my driver's side window doesn't work. So I opened my door kind of well not open like kind of cracked it open like four or five inches to kind of hear and um yeah from there he probably yelled something like like dummy or something. I probably yelled something like dummy. I don't remember the exact words. Um then from there I was like drive. I said get out of the road. the lights green and I guess we were both a little heated at the point ready. So he didn't listen. So at that point the traffic on the right side's already moving. So I'm at a point where I can't move now. He's >> in front of me at an angle. Um but he's pretty much all in that lane. He's just taking up the whole lane. um or he's not in the other lane. And from there, I pull out my firearm. I reach for it. Um the glove box. I whenever I'm driving, I do tend to keep the magazine already in the firearm, but no, um no bullet in the chamber. And so I did point it at him. I said, "Get out of the road, drive." He said, "Shoot me." I said, "Get out of the road, drive." It was a back and forth for maybe, it felt longer, but maybe five or six seconds, 7 seconds. Um, from there, I fired one shot at the ground. pretty much to see his response if he's going to drive off or what. Um, and I was pretty much trying to pay attention to him and the lights of his vehicle as well as possible to see if, excuse me, see if I see reverse or take his foot off the brakes or anything to go forward. And um I noticed some shuffling in the front and then he went to lean out the window again and then that's when I fired an additional I want to say four rounds and maybe a 1 and a half two second time span. It was pretty fast. Okay. >> From there I tried to drive off as safely forward as I could. Um, and I did probably went down. Not even a light, but I did a Uturn. I just wanted to make sure I was out of danger. I wasn't sure what was going on. I did a U-turn and I pulled back into the the parking lot just after. And during that time, I park. I called my father real quick. I called my lady real quick just to let him know like there's no just driving away from this. So that um while I was on the phone with my girlfriend, I called my father first. I heard the siren. So I was like, "Okay, like I got to go." So I went on ahead and made sure that I cleared the firearm. I put it on the passenger seat with the magazine next to it. From there, I grabbed my wallet, my phone, a vape. Um, I turned my car off, I locked it, and [clears throat] I was walking towards the officers from there. And pretty much when I got to them, I said it was me, the firearms on the passenger seat. It's unloaded. And from there, I pretty much got down on the ground and got arrested. >> With Cariso's initial version of events now on the record, detectives start testing key aspects of his story. They probe his decisions, perceptions, and state of mind to understand what motivated his actions and to evaluate whether his claim of self-defense is supported by the facts. We pick up where Nicholas is explaining that after his vehicle was blocked by David, he opened his door and stepped out to communicate with him as his window was not working. >> Yeah, I kind of step out. So, this is the driver's seat. >> Kind of have my foot on the brake and I kind of step like this. >> Okay. Where's the gun at right now? >> Right now, it's in the sand. >> So, it's in your right hand. You have your right foot on the brake and you're kind of left foot on the on the road and you're kind of standing in the doorway partially in the car. Partially car. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. So, the gun's in your right hand. What do you do next? >> During this time, if this is the person, I point the firearm around here. >> Okay. >> On the floor, just before maybe 3 ft away from the car. >> Okay. >> Um, and during that time, I say drive. Drive. Or no, I don't say drive. I say, "Get out of here." Or, "Get out of the road." >> Okay, >> get out of the road. Um, and then from there, he started just screaming, "Shoot me. Shoot me." I say, "Get out of the road." And we're pretty much just yelling that over each other at that point. Um, and then I show him, I pull the firearm to the side so I can show him putting uh locking and loading essentially. So, so it you're telling them to drive, get down the road, and then you rack it. So, it loads a a bullet into the chamber. >> Right. Essentially to I'm trying to like demonstrate escalation of force. >> Like, all right, we use verbal. Now, I'm showing the firearm. Now, I'm showing you it's an armed firearm. And then from there, um, he's still being rowdy. Um, so at that point, I fire one into the ground. >> Okay. right before his car. >> Yes, probably about I pull down a little extra. So, if I was three feet in front at that point, it's probably five. >> Okay. >> Um to really assess like his response. What are we doing from here? Like I don't want to shoot anybody, you know? >> I understand. >> And from there, after I put the uh the warning shot into the ground, yeah, I just kind of watch to see what he does. He he reaches back into his car and I'm like, "Okay, I'm trying to read lights. I'm trying to see, you know, if the body's coming back this, you know, facing my direction, see what's going on." But at this point, I'm like, I know for a fact he sees there are no cars in front of him. He can at least go. This is probably It's pretty fast. It was maybe a total of like 3 4 seconds between the warning shot, maybe five, and then the actual shot was honestly pretty quick because in [clears throat] that time, so I fire the warning shot, I seen him reach back in his car either, I'm assuming, to put the car into drive or to do whatever the case might be. [snorts] And then it wasn't until I don't see any of the lights change and I see him come back for the window that I'm like, "Oh, this is a threat for sure." Like, he knows I have a firearm, but he's still not like leaving. That's not his plan. So, I assume he's going to shoot me. Like, I'm trapped. I can't escape. I can't essentially he has the upper ground. Um, if he does have something that I can't see. Um because my whole point is like I'm letting you know what everything I'm doing. >> Yeah. >> Did you see Did he get out of the car at all? >> He did not get out of the car. >> Okay. He just put the window down. >> Yeah. So he already put the window down essentially when I had tapped the horn and flashed. Um, he probably had it down like majority of the way, like 80% [clears throat] and then at some point it probably went down the other little bit. I honestly didn't notice when it went down the other little bit, but um, >> during that whole time, so you're able to clearly with his window down, you're able when your bright lights are on, you're able to clearly see him. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. Did you see any weapons at all? Did you see him with a weapon at all? Not don't presume. >> No. No. No. I I didn't. what you saw. >> I definitely did not see anything in anyone's hands only because I mean from where I'm looking, you know, his chair. >> Yeah. Don't assume any of it. I just want to know if you saw >> No. >> If he produced a gun, if he produced a knife, a stick, a bat, any of that kind of stuff. Did you see any of that kind of thing? That's what I'm asking. >> Um, as far as my memory goes, I didn't see anything. I just >> saw from what I remember in that short time I saw him turn. >> Did he turn left or turn his right? That's >> uh initially. So >> he's >> he's initially facing left. >> Okay. >> Then he kind of goes right into the vehicle. Okay. >> And then this is when I think that he's either messing with his shift or whatever the case might be. >> I don't know. I'm not assuming. >> Um >> well, it's it's what it's what you're perceiving in your mind is what I'm trying to get at. didn't see a weapon, but I just want to understand what you see him do. >> What I see >> when he goes in and then reaches back towards his window to my direction um his left side. I don't see any of the lights change, so I know he didn't mess with his uh shifter, so I assume he grabbed something. >> Okay. So, you fired the warning shot. >> Yes, sir. He turns to his right inside the car. >> Yes, sir. And then >> when he comes back left, you didn't see a weapon. When he turns back left, you just you didn't see a weapon again? >> Not that I can remember, sir. >> All right. Um, [clears throat] now at this point, right, you're standing. You're still standing up. >> Yes, sir. >> And this is when other cars are moving. >> Now it's a green light. >> Now it's a green light. If you would have sat back down at this point, could you have driven around him to the left? >> At this point, I was a little bit scared because at this point, I did already show a firearm >> and >> Okay. So, you showed it to him. >> Well, so yeah, when I stand up with the door cracked initially, it's down. I say, "Get out of the road. Get out of the road." >> After doing that for >> five, six seconds. Yep. At that point, I do point the fire um um to the ground in front of him. >> Okay. >> Two, three feet in front of the car. >> So, he sees >> That's when you loaded it and pointed it, correct? >> No, I pointed it first. >> Okay. >> Um then he's he was yelling, "Shoot me." I'm yelling, "Get out of the road." >> Okay. >> Um [clears throat] each probably three times. >> Okay. >> Um and then from there, I kind of turn it to the side. >> Okay. At this point right there, it sounds like you tried to give them every opportunity to drive. >> Right. >> So now at this point, are there any cars to the left? Are you would you have been able to get in the car and like cuz we don't know what he's doing, >> right? >> I'm just trying to visualize. Would you have been able to get in that left lane and like drive around him? >> I That is how I got out of there. >> Have you ever had a gun pointed at you? >> Yes. Really? >> Yes, sir. >> How many times in your life have you had that happen? >> Um, on a serious situation over five. >> Five. >> I deployed. >> Ah, okay. >> Okay. >> What branch? >> Uh, army. >> Okay. So, since you've been back in the States? >> Yes, sir. >> Reing that question. Have you ever had a gun pointed at you? >> Since being back? No. >> Okay. >> So, outside the army, you haven't had a weapon pointed at you. In the military, I was in the Marine Corps, so I I It's a little different. >> I've had a firearm pointed at me once before and then a few times in the military and then since >> the reason I'm asking that, and obviously military is different, what kind of feelings would that produce for you when a firearm's pointed at you? Obviously fear um you don't want to move much >> um which is why I try to make it clear like what I am demanding is that you drive >> right do you think this guy was scared do you think he was just didn't know what was going on that's why I'm asking if he was verbalizing anything to you because in normal life right outside like the military law enforcement these It's I would consider it a little bit abnormal to have a gun pointed >> just call it what it is. >> So I'm trying to you know is this guy in a panic or is he still talking to you? That's what we're trying to perceive here. >> He appears very coherent. He's saying lots of words, but after the firearm was pointed, it was mostly shoot me. >> Really? Shoot me. >> Huh. That's like an abnormal response, too. Right. Which is what was so alarming to me. It felt like he really didn't care what happened. >> H think maybe he was just trying to call your bluff >> possibly. >> You're trying to see if you would actually shoot him, >> right? Which is why I was trying to demonstrate the escalation of force like but now there's a round in the chamber or a round chambered. >> I don't like it. um like this is our you know it's almost to say like this is more serious. >> All right. Give us a few minutes and then we will be back and uh let you know what's going on. Okay. >> Yes sir. Um >> yeah ask if you got a questions ask man. I'll I'll answer whatever I can. I can >> I I actually Is is the guy okay? Is >> he is not He is dead. That's the truth. >> Okay. >> Um give us a quick second though. Do you want some more water? >> Uh >> snack or something? Uh water and tissue in your room. [clears throat] >> Are you sorry now knowing the outcome of what happened today? >> Yeah, I mean I I don't want I never wanted that to happen. I wanted to feel safe. I didn't want someone to die because of it. >> Do you think he needed to die? >> I don't think anyone necessar I don't think that he necessarily needed to die. I think poorly aim shot. [snorts] >> All right, good. Um, just sit tight for a little while longer and let you know what's going on. All right. [clears throat] >> [snorts] >> By the end of the interview, detectives had heard Kerisio's explanation in full, [music] but several key admissions would become difficult to reconcile with a claim of self-defense. After hours of questioning, detectives found probable cause to charge a Nicholas Kosiso with first-degree murder with a firearm. Although prosecutors would later proceed to trial on a charge of seconddegree murder, he spent 3 months in custody before the court eventually granted bond. He made the total $250,000 bond and was released while the case moved forward. As trial began on March 18th, 2025, prosecutors made a final offer. Plead guilty to seconddegree murder with a firearm and get 25 years. The judge warned that a conviction could mean life in prison, but Cariso rejected the plea deal and took his chances at trial. The central question for the jury was whether the shooting of David Sly was legally justified. Prosecutors argued that Sly never left his vehicle and never displayed a weapon while Kerisko chose to retrieve a handgun, exit his own car, fire a warning shot, and then fire multiple rounds at Sly. The defense countered that Kerisio reasonably believed he faced an imminent deadly threat after a road rage confrontation escalated. I am now blocked in by a vehicle that does not by a person who does not want to move their vehicle and also by an angry person who I don't know what their intentions are. I wasn't the one driving recklessly that morning. >> Okay. No, you were the person that shot somebody in the back of the head, right? >> I'm the person who saved my life, who defended myself, sir. Jurors heard from eyewitnesses, officers, and various experts. But it was Kerisio himself through his recorded interview that proved to be one of the prosecution's most important pieces of evidence. Jurors listened as he described what he believed David's lie might be doing, what he feared he might have, and what he thought might happen next. Yet, when detectives repeatedly asked Kerisio what he actually saw, the answer remained the same. No gun, no knife, no weapon. In the end, the jury was asked to decide whether a perceived threat justified deadly force. It took them less than 3 hours to reject the self-defense claim and return a guilty verdict. 27-year-old Nicholas Kerisio was sentenced to 50 years for seconddegree murder and 15 years for shooting into an occupied vehicle to be served concurrently. >> [snorts] >> David Sly never made it to work that morning. For his family, the loss is permanent. Nicholas Keroskeo will spend decades in prison. And for everyone else, the case serves as a reminder that assumptions made in seconds can alter lives forever.