Houston attack: Cyclists claim self-defense after video showing riders attacking man's car
Cyclists caught on video attacking vehicle
FOX 26 Reporter Gabby Hart has more on the viral video showing the moment a vehicle was attacked by a group of bicyclists in Houston.
HOUSTON - The now viral video shows a group of cyclists in Houston attacking a driver's vehicle, many people saw it and immediately sympathized with the driver; condemning the actions of these cyclists, but FOX 26 spoke exclusively with two men who were in that crowd, and they say there's a video clip leading up to it that people didn't see.
Video captures moment vehicle drives nearby
Video sent to FOX 26 shows the moment a driver was said to have caused a problem with a large group of bicyclists in Houston.
"He cut in toward the back of the line, and he took off, we told him there are still more people, and he took off striking the biker on the opposite lane," said Joshua, one of the men who witnessed the incident.
SUGGESTED: ALLEGED ANIMAL ABUSE: Baytown man accused of cutting legs, paws off numerous puppies
He and another witness named Phi, say the driver was the aggressor. He was upset after the group of nearly 400 cyclists stopped traffic while they passed the intersection of South McGregor and Scott Street on Thursday evening. They say the driver refused to wait and started speeding back and forth between the riders; they claim he hit two different people and that's why they started surrounding his car.
They also say at one point during that altercation, he had a knife in his hand.
"We acted in self-defense, it was shocking to everyone he put everyone's life in danger, and we acted the way, we acted in self-defense," said Joshua.
DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 HOUSTON APP BY CLICKING HERE
Joshua and Phi say while they don't condone what happened, they have a right to be on the road and to protect the hundreds of men, women, and children riding along with them.
"People continue thinking of us as an angry mob of riders, destructive riders, destructing anyone disturbing the peace, we aren't about that, we're more family-friendly."
Just over an hour before this story aired, FOX 26 received a phone call from the driver seen in the video. He said the cyclists were looking for trouble, and that he wants to tell his side of the story. He is expected to speak with FOX 26 on Tuesday.
We have reached out to police asking if they're investigating this incident.
Check back later for updates.