Originally published on June 11, 2015, at NationofChange.org
An undercover New York detective and a biker were convicted of second-degree assault, coercion, and riot on Tuesday in connection to the ruthless beating of a motorist caught on video. Although NYPD Det. Wojciech Braszczok and Robert Sims can be seen in the video smashing the SUV’s windows and attempting to pull the victim’s wife from the vehicle, the judge acquitted them of the more serious charges of gang assault and first-degree assault. Det. Braszczok acknowledged that he lied about his presence at the attack and did not call 911 after the beating.
According to footage taken from a biker’s helmet cam on September 29, 2013, a large gang of bikers drove recklessly through the streets of Lower Manhattan running red lights, driving on sidewalks, and slapping pedestrians. The NYPD reportedly received 200 complaints of bikers driving recklessly through Manhattan before they got on the Henry Hudson Parkway. According to his testimony, a motorist named Alexian Lien witnessed several motorcycles run a red light and almost hit a woman carrying a baby.
Driving an SUV with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, Lien attempted to call 911 when several bikers including Edwin Mieses pulled up alongside their vehicle screaming profanities, making a slit-throat gesture, and shattering his driver’s side mirror. As the bikers surrounded their vehicle, Lien’s wife, Rosalyn Ng, threw a plum and a half-empty bottle of water at them. Another biker named Christopher Cruz cut off their Range Rover and slowed down so fast that his motorcycle’s rear tire tapped Lien’s front bumper.
Lien stopped his SUV and immediately found himself surrounded by over a hundred enraged bikers. As they continued hitting his vehicle and slashing his tires, some of the bikers dismounted their motorcycles and approached Lien’s SUV while making threatening gestures. In fear for his family’s life, Lien hit the accelerator and ran over Mieses in order to escape. Mieses, who had been driving on a revoked license, suffered a fractured spine and punctured lung.
andrewemett 