New York City officials are warning masked dirt bike riders that arrests may be near after video captured a chaotic confrontation in which several riders surrounded and attacked a vehicle on a busy Staten Island roadway.
The warning came after Wednesday’s incident on Richmond Avenue in the Bulls Head neighborhood, where footage showed multiple masked riders surrounding a white SUV stopped at a traffic light.
Video obtained by News Outlet appeared to show several people kicking and striking the SUV, while another seemed to throw an object at the vehicle. As the driver tried to get away, the SUV appeared to run over a dirt bike positioned in front of it.
Masked dirt bike riders surrounded a white SUV on Richmond Avenue in Staten Island, with several appearing to kick and hit the vehicle. (Facebook/Staten Island Bad Parking & Driving)
At a news conference Thursday, NYPD Assistant Chief John Buttacavoli said investigators were collecting intelligence and working to identify the people involved.
“We know who you are, and you will be getting a knock on your door very soon,” Buttacavoli said, stressing that the conduct had moved beyond a quality-of-life issue and into potential criminal activity.
“It stops here. We’re taking action,” he added.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon denounced the riders, saying they were intimidating drivers and endangering innocent people.
“Like a plague of locusts, they descend upon drivers who are just going about their business here on Staten Island,” McMahon said. “They’re jackals, they’re teenage terrorists, and it’s not going to be tolerated here in our borough.”
McMahon called the behavior “simply outrageous” and said officials had no information indicating that anyone had been seriously injured.
According to Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, Wednesday’s confrontation was part of a larger pattern of dangerous conduct involving motorized bikes.
Fossella described the riders as a “bunch of punks who are literally terrorizing drivers” as people traveled through the borough.
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“Enough. This game is over,” Fossella said.
The borough president also urged parents to recognize that their children could be putting innocent motorists in danger.
NYPD Assistant Chief John Buttacavoli said police were working to identify those involved after masked dirt bike riders swarmed a vehicle on Staten Island. (Staten Island District Attorney’s Office)
“Your kid is terrorizing innocent people when they’re just going about their business. It’s wrong, and it needs to stop,” Fossella said.
McMahon said parents could face legal or financial consequences if their children use illegal motorized vehicles to threaten or injure others. That could include civil liability if someone is hurt.
“Parents also must take responsibility for their children,” McMahon’s office said in a separate statement.
Buttacavoli said police have created a task force to address the problem and will continue seizing illegally operated motorized bikes. Officers have already identified several people and confiscated numerous bikes this year, he said.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, District Attorney Michael McMahon and NYPD Assistant Chief John Buttacavoli discussed a confrontation involving masked dirt bike riders and an SUV during a news conference. (Staten Island District Attorney’s Office)
The NYPD also reminded residents that some motorized vehicles must be registered and insured and may be operated only by licensed drivers.
State Assemblyman Mike Reilly, R-Staten Island, said he plans to introduce legislation in January that would make parents financially responsible when minors are caught recklessly operating certain motorized vehicles, according to the New York Post.
The proposal would carry fines ranging from $250 to $1,500, the newspaper reported.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have not announced any arrests.
