Man arrested after traffic incident, beating

A Post Falls man who lost his home in a fire this month was arrested on felony battery charges Monday after he allegedly punched another man during an altercation last Wednesday.

The 18-year-old victim told police that a man, later identified as 39-year-old Michael R. Anderson, punched him in the face five or six times.

Post Falls Police Lt. Greg McLean said the victim suffered a fractured eye socket and is scheduled to undergo reconstructive surgery this week.

Anderson told police he “lost it” and wouldn’t normally act that way, according to police reports.

The victim told police he attempted to pass a silver Subaru on Seltice Way, and the driver of the Subaru pulled in front of him and began swerving left and right so he couldn’t pass.

He flipped off Anderson, he told police. As the cars approached a red light, Anderson allegedly got out of his car, tried to pull the victim out the window of his car and began punching him.

Anderson got back into his car and left, according to witnesses who corroborated the victim’s story. One witness wrote down Anderson’s license plate number.

In an interview with a detective Monday, Anderson told police the victim had cut him off and nearly hit his car. Initially he only planned to yell at the driver, Anderson told police. He also said he thought the driver spit on him and that he became angry and punched the young man three times.

Anderson and his family lost all their possessions when their Post Falls rental home burned to the ground July 15. The fire spread from a neighboring home where residents reportedly extinguished a cigarette in a planter full of potting soil. A third home was damaged in the fire.