News

Police searching for man in viral video who attacked teens, took George Floyd flyers

by Marina Pitofsky 06/04/20 06:24 PM ET

Maryland-National Capital Park Police in Montgomery County, Maryland, are asking the public for help identifying a cyclist who appeared to attack a group of teenagers in a now-viral video.

The teenager who took the video, who asked to remain anonymous, told NBC Washington that he, another teen boy and teen girl were posting flyers Monday morning supporting demonstrations over the death of George Floyd. They encountered a cyclist near MacArthur Boulevard in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C.

The flyers say “A MAN WAS LYNCHED BY THE POLICE. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? Text “Floyd” to 55156 Use your privilege for good,” NBC News reported.

The cyclist appears to approach the girl and take flyers from her in the video. The video was shared widely on social media.

The teen told NBCWashington, “He sees me recording him and sees the fact that I recorded him as he was doing that, and he grabs his bike and he runs it into me and pins me to the ground.”

The teen alleged that the cyclist called them deviants, used profanity and said they were inciting riots.

“I’ve been putting up signs in my neighborhood and neighborhoods around mine to bring attention to the fact that a lot of these neighborhoods are in a position of huge privilege and can make a big difference in terms of both monetary donations and resources to fight against injustice,” the teen who took the video told NBC News.

Park Police tweeted Tuesday “We are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the below individual in reference to an assault that took place this morning on the Capital Creacent (sic.) trail.”

Protests have broken out across the country over Floyd’s death. The man died last week after a former Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes during an arrest.

Updated 9:14 p.m.