You may remember that a year ago last August, I was assaulted by a bicyclist while in my car at rush hour. Well the sun is shining through the clouds today for me because my attacker has been apprehended by police and convicted and sentenced by our court system. Thanks goes out to a concerned citizen who had heard about the attack, knew the person and turned him in to the police. It was the fact that he put children in danger by coming after me that prompted his identification.The Seattle Police Department also gets my thanks for continuing to purse this incident. They are dealing with a lot of really bad things out there and my case could easily have remained at the bottom of the stack. But they stayed on it until an arrest was made. I am told by the court that I can but I am not naming him here. First because I am just pleased that he did not get away with this treacherous act after he smugly rode off into traffic and, mostly, because I would rather have the word "Stupid" tattooed on his forehead. That aside, his name is a matter of public record now and can easily be found.
He plead guilty in court to the charge of assault and received a one year suspended sentence during which he must complete an anger management course; do a number of hours of community service and have no other criminal activity. He has a permanent restraining order from any contact with me and, of particular significance, he will have this conviction on his record for the rest of his life.
The court contacted me several times during the past year and, after he was arrested and entered his guilty plea, I was asked to write how the incident had affected me. My statement will be used by the judge in his sentencing. The statement follows here. Based on the elements of his sentence that the City Attorney's Office shared with me, it seems the judge and I feel much the same way about it.
It is good to put this incident behind me and I hope nothing like it happens to you or to me again. Still, there are slightly deranged people like this out there who cannot control their anger and may be a threat to others while out in public. Be careful.
Victim Impact Statement for the Judge
Irresponsible and reckless are the best things I can say
about this man. He was weaving down the middle of a side street, working hard
to pull a double tandem carrier behind his bike. I was driving toward him, being
forced to move as far to the right as possible to stay out of his way. He yelled at me to “Move over”. I said “You
should move over” and drove on. He
followed me for more than a quarter of a mile through rush hour traffic
endangering himself and his children in the carrier. He pulled up to my car at a stoplight, between
lanes of traffic, said “How dare you” and completely unprovoked, punched me in
the face through the open window. He then rode off into the rush hour crowd. I
went to the emergency room at Swedish Hospital on Capitol Hill, getting
stitches in my upper and lower lips and ointment for my bruised face. I later saw
my dentist who told me that my upper teeth were loose from the blow but would
be alright.
This man needs help. At the very least, he needs anger
management counseling. Perhaps his mental health should be checked, as well. If the children were his, he put his family
in danger unnecessarily and should meet with Child Protective Services for a
review. I want this felonious assault on
his permanent record so that anyone who employs him or works with him knows
that he is unstable and a danger to his children and others around him.
His actions were entirely uncalled for and he deserves a
very serious sentence. Whether he was on a bike or any other wheeled
transportation, he instigated a very dangerous situation. My wife feels that my restless sleeping and
bouts of insomnia since that time are due to this incident. However, my doctor
does not have a concern at this point.
My visits to the emergency room and the dentist were covered by my
insurance. It is therefore not necessary
to seek monetary restitution.
I want this man to know that his uncontrolled actions were
completely out of bounds and perilous. He handled this situation precariously
and in a very unsafe manner. I can only
hope that I never encounter such a treacherous person again. He does not deserve to be using our streets.
I must commend the Seattle Police Department for taking this
case seriously. And were it not for a concerned citizen, this man would never
have been apprehended. I will not hesitate to thank them publicly for their
diligence in bringing him to justice.
