WASHINGTON — D.C. police arrested an ATV rider they say recorded an officer falling off his bike while pursuing a group of ATV riders over the weekend.
On Friday, police arrested 18-year-old Nasir Wallace who they say took video of a D.C. officer falling during a low-speed chase on 14th Street near Logan Circle Sunday night. The video captures the officer lunging for an ATV rider, missing and tumbling to the ground as two police cruiser abruptly stop to avoid hitting him.
Heard in the background is at least one ATV rider’s laughter.
“It’s no laughing matter now,” police said in a tweet Friday announcing Wallace’s arrest.
Wallace has been charged with resisting arrest and operating an ATV/dirt bike on public space.
D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham has pledged to crackdown on illegal ATVs in the District, and told WTOP in May that they are “essentially terrorizing drivers.”
He encouraged others on the road who see a group of ATV riders to pull over and let police know where they are.
“These drivers can be folks who are elderly. They can be mothers with children in car. They can be your regular commuter, so these [ATV] drivers have to realize what they’re doing. It’s not funny,” Newsham said.
