In Arizona, a father is currently facing several charges for reportedly assaulting two children on e-bikes, all while his own son witnessed the incident from inside the car.
Last month, in a Scottsdale neighborhood, a disturbing incident took place. According to witnesses, a man got out of an SUV and violently assaulted a child riding an e-bike. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on December 27th. The assailant quickly fled the scene, leaving the child in distress.
A police officer later spotted the SUV and pulled it over, where the driver was identified as 52-year-old Richard Davidson.
Davidson allegedly confessed to authorities that while driving with his son, he encountered several children on e-bikes who were recklessly weaving through traffic. In response, he claimed to have taken matters into his own hands.
Davidson explained that he had taken two phones from the kids before leaving the area. He claimed that he did this in order to have leverage and be able to communicate with the children’s parents.
Video footage of the incident appears to show Davidson stepping out of his vehicle and discarding an e-bike that was obstructing the road. He then proceeds to pursue one of the children, as captured in the video. The footage indicates that Davidson continues his pursuit until the child stumbles and falls to the ground. At that point, Davidson seizes the child’s phone.
In a distressing incident, Davidson was reportedly captured on camera forcibly removing another child from a moving e-bike. Shockingly, he proceeded to push the child onto the ground and snatch their phone before swiftly driving away in his car.
According to court documents, police reported that in another video, Davidson is seen driving along the roadway while a child is present. It is alleged that Davidson intentionally veered to the right in an attempt to hit the juvenile before leaving the scene.
The police have not yet made any of the video footage available to the public or media.
According to the investigators, Davidson showed no remorse for the assault and repeatedly expressed his dislike for kids on e-bikes. He even mentioned that he had relocated from Scottsdale due to the presence of e-bikes.
When questioned by the police about why he had not reported the e-bike incidents, Davidson replied, “I did call in the past, but you know what they say, fourth time’s the charm.”
Davidson has been taken into custody and is currently being held at the Maricopa County Jail. His bail has been set at $35,000. He is now facing several charges, including felony assault and robbery.