DA: Motorcyclist had key role in NYC SUV brawl
CBS/AP/ October 6, 2013, 9:27 P.M.
Updated 9:26 PM ET
NEW YORK A motorcyclist accused of smashing a window and catalyzing a bloody encounter between a group of bikers and an SUV driver was arraigned Sunday on gang assault and other major charges, which his lawyer said were overblown.
The fourth person arrested so far in a case held up as a highway nightmare, Reginald Chance, 37, was being held on $75,000 cash bail. Prosecutors said he played a key role in the SUV driver's beating, which came after the driver ran over a biker in what the motorist's family said was fear for his life.
While Chance didn't hit or kick the driver, by shattering the SUV's driver's-side window, he "set into motion a chain of events that resulted in the driver being dragged out of his vehicle and beaten" by others, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Samantha Turino said.
Chance's lawyer, Gregory Watts, acknowledged his client broke the window in a burst of anger. The SUV's door had knocked him down earlier in the encounter that went from a Manhattan highway to a neighborhood street, Watts said. Video that captured part of the encounter shows Chance got on his motorcycle after breaking the window and left without hitting SUV driver Alexian Lien or encouraging anyone else to do so, Watts said.
"This is not a man riding around assaulting people with a quote-unquote 'gang,'" Watts said. "We will hotly contest those allegations."
Wife of biker run over by SUV: "It was a human being...under there"
A married father of six, Chance has been unemployed since a 2011 layoff from a food-service company, Watts said.
In the Sept. 29 confrontation, a group of motorcyclists crossed paths with Lien, who was out for a drive to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife and their toddler. One biker, Christopher Cruz, 28, cut off Lien's Range Rover SUV and slowed down before it bumped his motorcycle's rear tire, police and prosecutors said. Cruz is fighting misdemeanor charges including unlawful imprisonment.
Cruz and other bikers stopped and approached Lien, 33; who drove off, running over biker Edwin "Jay" Mieses Jr. and breaking his spine and both his legs. The motorcyclists pursued Lien off the highway and onto a street, then attacked him when he got stuck in traffic, authorities said. Chance's bike was knocked down along the way when another biker tried to open the SUV's door and it drove on, Watts said.
After the SUV's window was broken, Lien was dragged out, beaten and stomped, needing stitches in his face, authorities said.
Another rider accused of participating in the beating, Robert Sims, 35, of Brooklyn, was arraigned Saturday on charges including gang assault. His lawyer, Luther Williams, said Sims denies the charges.
Prosecutors have declined to charge a fourth man who was arrested, at least for now.
Lien has not been charged with any crime. His family's lawyers declined to comment on Chance's arrest.
Off-duty cops investigated in NYC road rage incident
Police are investigating whether an undercover police officer at the motorcycle rally witnessed the violent confrontation and didn't immediately report it, a law enforcement official said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation. Police also are looking into whether any off-duty officers were there.
Meanwhile, a bystander hailed as a hero in the episode gave a public account Sunday of stopping the attack.
Lien was on the ground when bystander Sergio Consuegra stepped in between him and the bikers, Consuegra recalled at a news conference with local officials.
Feeling "intense danger," Consuegra told himself, "'Let me not show these people that I'm here to engage in any kind of confrontation but that I'm here to protect the man and the family, so I'm going to keep it cool,'" he recalled. Consuegra, who's in his 50s, was on his way to church when he saw the encounter.
He spread his arms to shield the driver and told the bikers: "'That's it, guys. Let it go. That's it. Let it go,'" he said. The bikers backed off, and Consuegra called police.
He said he felt he'd done the right thing. But "I do not call myself a hero," he said, "because I wish I could have done more."
Consuegra was lauded by elected officials, WCBS New York reported. "On behalf of the entire city, we thank you," City Councilman Robert Jackson, who represents Washington Heights, told the Good Samaritan.
[N.S.: Most of the 57 reader comments were outraged, but one guy had to play Socrates:
Dave99Finike says:
How in the world can so many people get so upset, when we obviously know nothing about what really happened?
It is probably very logical, to have the emotion that each of these people commenting have, if whatever they think happened, was what really happened. But, only the people that were there, have any chance of knowing what really happened, and each of them could have ONLY seen it from their perspective.
This idea of what happened is rarely what a well-informed, independent observer, would say happened. And I doubt if there are going to be many of those.
It is very sad. Because, I think most of us would want the whole thing to turn out fairly for all concerned.
But, I hope that we can all agree, that mob violence is never likely to be a good idea. And I am very aware that most groups of bikers that you see, are definitely NOT a gang. But just a group of people enjoying their hobby. Unfortunately, with the mindset instilled by movies and media sensationalism, it tends to make people jump to wrong conclusions. And, I am very aware, that some groups are a nasty piece of work. A group with undercover cops in it is not a good sign.
Just don't tar Bikers all with the same brush. Or all Blacks. Or all Asians. Or all white guys. Or all blondes. Now Texas Aggies may deserve their reputation. (Attempt at humor.)
I am very grateful that there was one person nearby who tried to help. And I am extremely grateful that through some miracle it worked and that he was not hospitalized or killed also.
I'm certainly very sorry that someone was run over and has a broken spine and two broken legs. Hopefully someday a reasonably accurate accounting of what really happened and why, will be uncovered.
But, I would certainly generalize, that my personal opinion, which may not be that of the law of the land, my personal opinion is that IF a large group of people, however justified they may be, are trying to scare the crap out of me, it is very possible that they may not like what I think I MUST do to save my life and especially the life of the ones I love. And it obviously, may not have been the most logical thing to solve the problem. Very few people think logically when they are terrified. Just like few think clearly when angry.
To say it another way, I assume that any 'victim person' that believes, whether correctly or erroneously, that those nearest and dearest to them are in mortal danger, even if some stupid thing, even a stupid intentional thing, that the 'victim person' DID causes the loved ones to be apparently in mortal danger...
I strongly recommend that everyone WATCHOUT!
Running over someone and probably killing them in the process, may seem quite justified at that moment when you are terrified. The collateral damage may get way out of control.
But let's not get into an argument about that. I'm just trying to say that as with virtually all of these comments sections, people think they know what happened. They somehow DECIDE that they know absolutely what must've happened, and write in the box with inflammatory comments, and the whole page gets out of control. Don't pay much attention to the hotheads. Ignoring them drives them crazy. Or perhaps crazier.
Let's just hope that what really happened is someday fairly and honestly explained. Perhaps some valuable observers will come forward with relatively untainted opinions of how this nightmare unfolded. And you can hope that the jury realizes that each witness has a strong bias in some direction. They can quite honestly believe that X happened and Y did not. It's a tough job figuring out what really happened. Don't be shocked if the real story is never told. All we can do is the best we can do.
I tried to respond, as follows, but the CBS software kept making me log on, again and again:
“How in the world can so many people get so upset, when we obviously know nothing about what really happened?”
But you claim to know quite a lot about what happened, even as you imply that no one else does. And you triangulate like crazy in your lecture. Well, you’re not the only one who knows a bit about what transpired, and anyone who knew something about this racist attack and wasn’t outraged would have to be morally dead.
This Sergio WAS very lucky he was not attacked and either hurt or killed. He DID right thing but at great danger to himself. I am even surprised he was not beaten and killed himself. Those savages beating Lien were totally out of control.
ReplyDeleteThat is what is always said. "You weren't there, you don't know what really happened". People make decisions about what occurred at the scene of a crime all the time without not being there. It is called a jury.
ReplyDeleteWithout question these biker thugs were acting in a concerted manner to break the law "to do wheelies" and create all sorts of mayhem. They took actions they should not have taken that caused this whole "road range" incident to occur. They are to blame.