An e-bike driver in Orange, California, eventually landed in hot water after he allegedly decided that fleeing from a motor police officer was a great idea. And while the numerous citations and the impoundment of his vehicle certainly hurt, it doesn’t compare to the constant taunting he was subjected to by the law enforcement agent.
The incident was brought to the public’s attention by the Orange Police Department. According to the OPD, police have been cracking down on illegal and unsafe e-bike riding at Grijalva Park.
On Wednesday, June 17, an OPD motor officer noticed an individual doing exactly that. The agent attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the e-bike, to no avail.
“One rider recently decided that stopping for an officer was optional and attempted to make a quick getaway. […] That plan had a very short life expectancy.”
Pursuit Begins, Footage Shows
The OPD motor officer in question began pursuing the suspect after he allegedly decided to flee. The footage attached above showed the chase unfolding.
In an effort to de-escalate the pursuit and hopefully prevent a tragedy, the officer tried to reason with the e-bike driver. How? Through multiple taunts, hoping to make the suspect reason and, perhaps, hurt his ego as a side effect, although the impromptu statement began softly.
“I would stop if I were you. This is a really, really bad idea. Okay,” the officer said. “I mean, we can keep going, but it’s a bad idea.. Your face is on camera. I know you go to school around here. I’m gonna find you.”
Ultimate Taunting
Seeing that the e-bike driver refused to slow down and stop, the motor officer went ahead and turned his interactions up a notch. It appears that, eventually, these worked marvelously.
“What’s mom and dad gonna say when they see your face when I show them this?” the officer continued. “I promise I’m a better rider than you, too. Oh, look, I’m still here.”
At one point during the pursuit, it appears that the e-bike driver stopped. The officer told him to get off the bike, but apparently the pursuit was resumed shortly after.
Suspect Stopped, Citation Issued
According to the bodycam footage’s time, the officer took at least three minutes to detain the e-bike driver. The suspect is shown stopping on its tracks, with the officer placing his motorbike in front of it to prevent another fleeing attempt.
Mulitple officers escorted the e-bike driver and another individual, both of whom sat down on the ground. In total, the e-bike driver, who remained unnamed, was cited for nine violations.
These include evading a police officer/fleeing, riding in an unsafe manner in a city park on a motorized vehicle, not having license plates on his motorcycle, not having a helmet, not having a valid motorcycle license, not having insurance/registration, and not having mirrors. His e-bike, as a result, was impounded.