Philadelphia Police released a new photo of a dirt bike rider who they say was caught on video smashing the window of a woman’s car, pointing a gun at her and head-butting her near City Hall in Center City on Sunday. NBC10’s Deanna Durante has the latest on the investigation.
Philadelphia police are searching for a dirt bike rider who was captured on video jumping on the window of a woman’s car, pointing a gun at her and head-butting her while her children were inside the vehicle in Center City.
On Tuesday morning, law enforcement officials said they had a person of interest in this case and released new images of the man they are seeking.
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The incident, which was caught on video, occurred Sunday along 1400 South Penn Square around 8:45 p.m.
'It was a little gun'
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Nikki Bullock, the woman whose car was damaged, spoke with NBC10's Aaron Baskerville about what led up to the incident.
Bullock was in the car the armed dirt bike rider jumped on with her girlfriend and her two children, 5 and 2. They were delivering food at the time.
"They’re not paying attention to lanes. They’re just doing whatever. So I’m turning in the lane and he just hits the side of the car," Bullock said.
Bullock told NBC10 she had argued with the man after that impact, until the bike rider decided to attack her vehicle.
"He jumped up here with two feet," she said, pointing out where the man launched himself onto her back bumper. "He stepped his first foot down. Didn't work, so, them he was like...and, went through."
Video shows the biker jumping on the rear window of Bullock's car before falling through her rear windshield as it shattered. He steps off the car and drops a firearm to the ground, before picking it up as she exited the vehicle.
When he pulled the firearm up to her eye level, she stood her ground, wanting to protect the children in the vehicle.
"It was just like, it was a little gun and at that point, my windshield was already broken so, what was he really going to do to me, for real?" she asked.
As can be seen in the video, when the argument got heated, the rider head-butted Bullock, using his helmet as a weapon against her face. She responded by shoving his bike to the ground.
"I'm just grateful that my kids are okay. There's not a scratch on them," she said. "It was just the simple fact that I had kids in the car. I just wanted to protect them honestly."
A tourist sees the sights
George Coloney of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, told NBC10 he was visiting Philadelphia and on a double decker tour bus Sunday night when he witnessed the incident unfold near City Hall.
“I just started filming a video of all the bikers when next thing you know this guy hops off and jumps on this lady’s car,” Coloney said.
He said one of the bikers hit the mirror of Bullock's vehicle which led to a confrontation between the two.
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The entire ordeal, that Coloney recorded and later posted it on social media, lasted two minutes, he said.
“For him to take it that far, it’s just out of control,” Coloney said. “To the point where many people could’ve died in an instant.”
Coloney told NBC10 no one intervened to stop the biker and police only arrived after the biker involved in the incident had already drove away.
On Monday, police released photos of the suspect, who they say is wanted for aggravated assault and vandalism.
“If that person is caught and I get the chance to charge that person, we will be going very, very vigorously,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said.
Krasner was asked Monday about ways to control dirt bikes and ATVs, which have posed problems on city streets for years. Krasner suggested using technology and wiretapping rather than simply rounding up all the bikes on the street.
“We have to understand how difficult the situation is for PPD because they cannot engage in high speed chases without endangering pedestrians, passersby, people who are completely uninvolved,” Krasner said.
If you have any information on the suspect’s identity, please call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
