Cyclist caught on video attacking teens posting Floyd flyers arrested

The Maryland-National Capital Park Police arrested a man who was seen in a now-viral video assaulting a group of young adults who were posting flyers in Bethesda, Md., earlier this week in support of protests over racial injustice.

The park police arrested Anthony Brennan III, 60, of Kensington, Md., according to a Friday statement. He has been charged with three counts of second-degree assault.

On Monday, video spread widely on social media of a man attacking a group of three teenagers on the Capital Crescent Trail in Montgomery County, Md. Police said Brennan began to argue with the group, which included two women and one man, about the flyers and “forcibly grabbed the flyers from one of the victims,” according to the Friday statement.

“Before leaving the scene, the suspect pushed his bicycle towards the male victim and caused him to fall to the ground,” the statement continued. The flyers reference “a call for community action.” 

Park police tweeted Tuesday asking for the public’s help in identifying the man. Authorities said they received hundreds of tips from community members and made contact with Brennan and his legal representation Friday. Authorities also searched Brennan’s home Friday and confirmed that they seized multiple items.

“The Maryland-National Capital Park Police appreciates the courage and civic engagement of the victims who came forward in this matter. We thank the community for the abundance of tips and information shared,” authorities said in the Friday statement.

Brennan apologized in a statement and said his “outrageous behavior” was “unacceptable and wrong,” CNN reported. He also said he is “dedicated” to bringing justice to “all victims of racism and police brutality.”

“I am sick with remorse for the pain and fear I caused the victims on the trail and online,” he said, adding that he was cooperating with authorities, according to the outlet. “I am committed to making amends by addressing, through counseling, the underlying issues that led to my abhorrent behavior.”

The incident came as protests have broken out across the country over the death of George Floyd. Floyd, an unarmed black man, died last week after bystander video captured a former Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.