BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — A man who drew national attention after he assaulted people hanging fliers against police brutality on a Maryland bike trail has been sentenced to three years probation.
Anthony Brennan must also complete anger management classes, news outlets reported Tuesday.
Brennan, 61, of Kensington, pleaded guilty in December to three counts of misdemeanor assault for the June attack. The three victims were hanging fliers following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. The attack on the bike trail in Bethesda was videotaped and widely circulated online.
Both Brennan and his victims spoke in court about the continuing fallout from the minutes-long incident.
Brennan is now sober after checking into a treatment program.
“I can only apologize, try to change and move on,” he said. “We can all agree my behavior was wrong. Again, I’m very, very sorry for what I’ve done to these young people.”
The victims included two 19-year-old sisters, Sarah and Callan Daniel as well as their friend, Isaac Hillman, who was 18 at the time.
“To my horror,” Callan said in court, “you charged at my sister. You loomed over her, ripping things from her hands, tearing at her wrists, screaming as you backed her against a fence. . . . Though our faces were blurred in the videos, my friends recognized me by my screams.”
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Eric M. Johnson said he found Brennan’s apology to be sincere.
“The court did not find that he made excuses for his conduct, and that’s important,” Johnson said.
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