Woman arrested for intentionally ramming bike rider in downtown Portland – UPDATED

Celine Julia Geday booking photo.

Portland Police Bureau assault detectives have arrested a woman for intentionally ramming a man with her car in downtown Portland.

The man, 47-year-old Brian Lee Groce of southwest Portland, suffered “non-traumatic injuries” in the collision.

Here’s more from the PPB:

On Thursday April 3, 2014, at 12:00 p.m., Central Precinct officers responded to the report of a crash involving a bicyclist and a vehicle at Southwest Broadway and Jackson Street.

Officers and medical personnel arrived and contacted the bicyclist, 47-year-old Brian Lee Groce of Southwest Portland. Groce was suffering from non-traumatic injuries and told officers that he had been cut off in traffic by a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta (driven by 29-year-old Celine Julia Geday) and he’d ridden up to her and told her that she’d almost hit him and she replied by honking her horn.

Groce explained to police that they were both traveling East on Jackson and stopped at the red light at Broadway and he repeated to her that she’d almost hit him. Groce told police that the light turned green and they both started to cross Broadway when the driver swerved left, knocked him off the bike, then stopped her car.

Thankfully, Groce was able to describe the events to responding officers (often in these cases, the bicycle rider is so severely injured that they’re not able to give their version of the story). His account, combined with statements from witnesses allowed PPB assault detectives to confirm that the collision was an intentional act. Geday was arrested on a charge of Assault in the Second Degree and booked into the Multnomah County Jail.

UPDATE, 5:30 pm: The DA has released Geday pending their ongoing investigation of the incident.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Todd Hudson
Todd Hudson
9 years ago

Congratulations, Julia. You’ve been charged with Assault II, a Measure 11 offense that carries a mandatory sentence of nearly 6 years in the slammer without any chance of sentence reduction! Enjoy your stay.

That’s probably why you’re crying.

Christopher Sanderson
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Hudson

And if she “accidentally” hit him and killed him, she’d get no jail time. Thank God this collision was not worse.

Daniel Keough
Daniel Keough
9 years ago

It seems more people with helmet—or bicycle cams in general are very helpful. The driver’s (or even the cyclist’s) story may not match up with the video.

Sho
Sho
9 years ago
Reply to  Daniel Keough

Think of how many additional cases would be solved if people were given insurance incentives to use cams or it was mandatory for services that solely drive (i.e. taxis) to install cameras. Would be pretty helpful.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Sho

It would also be helpful of bicyclists were licensed and has to display their plate. But that won’t fly in Portland, because the bicyclists refuse to pay vehicle fees on their bikes, and don’t wish to be held accountable for anything they do.

Hi Citizen,

I’m Jonathan Maus, the owner and publisher of this site. Just want to let you know that I don’t appreciate your comments and I’ve deleted several of them — not because I disagree with what you’re saying, but because I find them necessarily inflammatory and not conducive to productive dialogue. If you’d like to continue to comment on this site, please have consideration for the community and be mindful of your tone and content. Thanks.

–Jonathan

FetaD
FetaD
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

…and because the cost of implementation would outweigh the fees received. The only way to come out even is to overcharge registration for a bicycle. Considering that roughly 90% of cyclists in PDX are motorists, and I’m sure even more have driver’s licenses (Even if they don’t own a car), there isn’t much extra to be gained there. Besides, slapping a license plate on a car does not identify the driver of the vehicle. Plenty of people getting away with hit-n-runs and speed camera infractions because the driver cannot be proven to be behind the wheel at the time.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  FetaD

That’s a lie that bicyclists constantly tell. It’s based on a convoluted scheme in Toronto in the 1930s that didn’t work. Bicycle licensing could be run through the same system as car licenses. Much easier to stick to the lie, though, and then wonder why the majority of people in the area really dislike you, and wonder why new businesses coming to the area are far more likely to locate themselves in the suburbs where they and their customers and employees don’t have to put up with you.

FetaD
FetaD
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

I hope you enjoy this city as much as I do. Have a good weekend.

LESTER
LESTER
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

Citizen
It would also be helpful of bicyclists were licensed and has to display their plate. But that won’t fly in Portland, because the bicyclists refuse to pay vehicle fees on their bikes, and don’t wish to be held accountable for anything they do.

Pedestrians should also have walking permits and hang license plates around their necks. Fees for sneakers to pay for crosswalk wear and tear!

Jeff
Jeff
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Hudson

Don’t support mandatory sentences. Judges should have discretion. It’s part of what makes a legal system fair. Also, I’m speaking generally. Don’t apply my response to this case (just a per-emptive note).

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Hudson

She’ll plead out to a lesser.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Hudson

Charges were dropped.

FetaD
FetaD
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Hudson

Probably because striking someone with a car is apparently okay when the most that instigated it were mean words. I don’t have to like the guy to feel a little uneasy about that type of retribution becoming standard in all walks of life. This type of event is hardly unique to cycling. Lots of “stand your ground” events have happened over the past few years that stir up similar controversy and disagreement.

Spiffy
Spiffy
9 years ago

it seems that many people don’t like being told when they’re wrong… for some reason the default response is to start a fight rather than to actually consider what you may have done wrong…

Sho
Sho
9 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

That it does whether its a car speeding or cyclist running an intersection (not specific to this case, multiple details are lacking in order to make an appropriate conclusion here – is quite focused on just the cyclists view, then again what other kind of unbiased reporting would come from here).

Scott H
Scott H
9 years ago

Classy.

jeff
jeff
9 years ago

enjoy your jail time, legal fees, and lost pay….***word deleted by moderator – no insults please***. glad the cyclist wasn’t injured. but let me guess, she gets to keep her drivers license.

Pete
Pete
9 years ago
Reply to  jeff

I’ll bet if she fired a legally-registered gun at him she wouldn’t get to keep it.

Hope you’re OK Brian!

jim
jim
9 years ago
Reply to  jeff

Did you see the guys picture in the Oregonlive story, he is pretty messed up, and traumatized.

V$
V$
9 years ago

If they were both traveling east on Jackson how did she swerve to the left and hit him? Shouldn’t he have been on the right?

Ian
Ian
9 years ago
Reply to  V$

Jackson eastbound is downhill for quite a while, making it easy for people on bikes to keep up with auto traffic, and there is no bike lane anyway.

Sho
Sho
9 years ago
Reply to  Ian

Google maps shows it only lasting about 2 blocks around there in which Broadway is in the center so only 1 block. However VS does have a good point that if they were headed eastbound on Jackson and she swerved left that puts the cyclist in oncoming traffic. At the same time with Broadway being a one-way, any movement to the left could be easily seen as intentional.

Elle Emme
Elle Emme
9 years ago
Reply to  Ian

I think you’re mixing SW Jackson up with SW Sam Jackson Park Road. SW Jackson is about two, maybe three blocks long, running along the southern end of PSU. SW Sam Jackson Park is a windy, hilly road that runs through/around OHSU.

Dan
Dan
9 years ago

There are exceptions to mandatory sentencing (http://www.crimevictimsunited.org/measure11/measure11sentences.htm#note1)

Note 1: In the case of Assault II, the judge has discretion to exempt the offender from Measure 11 mandatory sentencing if :
The offender has no prior convictions for serious offenses and
The victim did not suffer physical injury by means of a deadly weapon and
The victim did not suffer a significant physical injury.

Jeff
Jeff
9 years ago
Reply to  Dan

And the judge should have discretion! Mandatory minimums are one of the worst ideas in legal theory.

Dan
Dan
9 years ago
spare_wheel
spare_wheel
9 years ago
Reply to  Dan

Disgusting.

Daniel Keough
Daniel Keough
9 years ago
Reply to  Dan

well whatever comes out of this, I’m sure she had a good scare–as she should have (at least).

John Lascurettes
9 years ago
Reply to  Daniel Keough

Not as big of a scare as Brian Lee Groce got. Seems weakly disproportionate to simply “scare” a person that deliberately brought malicious bodily harm to another.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago

Better check poor Brian’s criminal record before you shed too many tears. This looks like he was doing a typical road range thing.

Rick
Rick
9 years ago

KGW reports that charges have been dismissed.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Rick

That’s correct, because the minute they put the “victim” on the stand, the driver’s lawyer would’ve been able to quiz poor Brian Lee Groce about his Assault II beef, his Attempted Assault II, his weapons charge, his two parole violations, and his disorderly conduct beef. I don’t think his rebuttal, “I’m just an average Portland bicyclist,” would’ve been too persuasive.

Todd Hudson
Todd Hudson
9 years ago

It’s starting to sound like there’s more to the story. Mr. Groce has quite a few mugshots online, for disorderly conduct and assault….

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Hudson

so if someone has a mugshot online it’s OK to assault them?

pixelgate
pixelgate
9 years ago
Reply to  spare_wheel

Sounds like the cyclist chased this woman down and was screaming and coming off as threatening. Getting tired of cyclists like this.. take down the plate # and call the cops but do not start smashing on someone’s windshield, cursing and coming off aggressive.

FetaD
FetaD
9 years ago
Reply to  pixelgate

This general interpretation of anyone who confronts a motorist is a huge deterrent for me to engage. I’m a level-headed guy who can simply talk to people without getting hysterical. But, when it comes to how the general public, a police report, or a newspaper article will interpret my actions, I will most likely be the “aggro cyclist” scaring the poor little defenseless driver. So I don’t engage anyone and keep on rolling no matter how threatening or stupid their maneuvers are. I don’t think the road is the time for education, but for different reasons. I see it as a PR/legal mountain to climb should a motorist take physical action on me for my words.

Bill Walters
Bill Walters
9 years ago
Reply to  FetaD

Helmet cam. Stay silent and grimly, repeatedly point to it — as if you were Scrooge’s third ghost. Puts their tail between their legs real quick (so far). Later, if you find you got both the plate number and the face, you might consider a citizen cite if the severity warrants the hassle (not yet, for me).

Tip: The GoPro, boxy as it is, may be harder for others to mistake for a light.

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
9 years ago
Reply to  pixelgate

unbiased witnesses seemed to think that she purposefully collided with him.

pixelgate
pixelgate
9 years ago
Reply to  spare_wheel

Charges were dropped for a reason.

Karl
Karl
9 years ago
Reply to  pixelgate

What was the reason?

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Karl

Because her “victim” has a long history of felony assault.

Bill Walters
Bill Walters
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

And if that’s really the reason, rather than if it’s been established that she did _not_ purposely collide with him (or that he implied deadly force or something), then it’s much more like politics or PR than justice.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  Citizen

That’s not the case Citizen. I’m in touch with the DA’s office and will put together a follow-up on Monday.

GlowBoy
GlowBoy
9 years ago
Reply to  pixelgate

“Sounds like the cyclist chased this woman down and was screaming and coming off as threatening. Getting tired of cyclists like this..”

Why? Is this happening to you a lot?

Mike
Mike
9 years ago
Reply to  spare_wheel

Could it be that she perceived this guy to be threatening? You weren’t there. I wasn’t there(nor were you!!) but I would bet he wasn’t just saying that “you almost hit me”. And you may notice that she is female and he is a male, take this in consideration.

Babygorilla
Babygorilla
9 years ago

spare_wheel
so if someone has a mugshot online it’s OK to assault them?
Recommended 2

No, but the fact that there has not been a trial means that there might not have been an assault. This will play out in the court system where his past might actually become an issue if he has disorderly conduct and assault convictions (I’m a little murky on my rules of evidence on reputation / past conduct of witnesses or victims).

The facts as reported also leave unanswered questions. Jackson has a single lane of eastbound travel and a single lane of westbound travel at that intersection so if the person on a bike was positioned to the left of the person of the car and has he claims, repeated to the person in the car that she had cut him off, that seems to indicate that the person on the bike was at her driver window at the stoplight and “chased” the person in the car down. It is entirely plausible that she did not want to engage someone attempting to engage her in an unusual manner, felt threatened, and a collision occurred in the panic or confusion once the light turned green while he for some reason was still along side her.

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
9 years ago
Reply to  Babygorilla

i guess you missed the part where charges were dropped by the cowardly DA. this incident proves, yet again, illustrates that a motorist can intentionally hit, maim, or kill a cyclist or pedestrian and get away with it with no repercussions.

Babygorilla
Babygorilla
9 years ago
Reply to  spare_wheel

The charges weren’t dropped according to the KATU article. The case is still under review. Usually it takes a bit for it to get to the indictment / information / grand jury stage if the DA determines that a prosecution is warranted.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  spare_wheel

What it shows is that if you’re a bicyclist and have a bunch of violent felonies under your belt, the D.A. isn’t going to carry your banner.

Bill Walters
Bill Walters
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

Citizen, ask yourself why you feel “if you’re a bicyclist” is necessary in that sentence at all — as well as in your many other bloodshot contributions here. If you have any remaining courage, maybe you’ll begin to realize how the world sees you: as a water-carrier for a brand of bigotry that’s no less repugnant even though it’s based on something other than the more typical race/religion/etc.

Citizen, it’s high time to man up, figure out what’s really holding you back in your life, and address it. (‘Cause it ain’t people who ride bikes.) With this pathetically transparent business of scapegoating those who seem vulnerable to you (not only men like you but women, children and old folks — “bicyclist” can mean any of those) you portray yourself as a coward. At least, those are the signals you’re sending here.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Bill Walters

O.K. then let’s do the long division here. If you are a bicyclist with a track record of violent felonies, and you pursue a driver down the street in a road range incident, and then some up with some tale about how she was texting to justify yet another outburst of anger on the streets, you’d better not expect that D.A. to carry your banner.

The same would go if you were a motor vehicle driver with the same background. The difference is that drivers wouldn’t be leaping to some criminal’s defense just because he was in a motor vehicle. The defenses and excuses for this bicyclist here are beyond pathetic.

Austin
Austin
9 years ago

Who hasn’t almost been hit on Broadway? To chase down the driver to repeatedly tell them what they already know, that they almost hit you, just seems like asking for trouble. You never know the state of mind of strangers out there…

pixelgate
pixelgate
9 years ago
Reply to  Austin

And drivers never know the state of mind of bicyclists out there. The double standard needs to stop.

Bill Walters
Bill Walters
9 years ago
Reply to  pixelgate

Indeed it does, pixelgate. Please pare down the excessive mass of you and your motorbunker to about 200-300 lbs. or so, earth weight, which is all a person of courage needs in order to get across town. Fix that double standard and sure, we can talk.

pixelgate
pixelgate
9 years ago
Reply to  Bill Walters

I don’t think “double standard” means what you think it means.

Bill Walters
Bill Walters
9 years ago
Reply to  pixelgate

And yet, somehow, I’m not surprised.

Duncan
Duncan
9 years ago
Reply to  pixelgate

If I rip you out of your car and beat you half to death you think I would be walking around? I would say there is a double standard, but it runs opposite the way you think it does….

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
9 years ago

If this incident is as it was discussed in the BP article…why would it be labelled as a “collision”?

Does the PPB report a gun shooting as a “collision” with a bullet?

There needs to be a new word for when a motorized vehicle is driven as a weapon. Just as a ram becomes a “battering” ram…so to must a car become a “weaponized vehicle” or a similar term.

dwainedibbly
dwainedibbly
9 years ago

This is the case where we find out if the Prosecutors are serious about protecting people on bicycles. It seems like a pretty open & shut case, so I hope they don’t give this psychopath a plea deal. They should have charged her with attempted murder.

Once the criminal case is settled, Groce should go after her with a civil suit.

Mike
Mike
9 years ago
Reply to  dwainedibbly

Or self defense. You don’t know what is behavior was but it probably wasn’t him just telling her “you almost hit me”. Why did he have to stop a second time. Was he threatening? There is probably more to it. The point is, you weren’t there.

gutterbunny
gutterbunny
9 years ago

The charge should be at least assault with a deadly weapon. Though I’m more inclined to say attempted murder.

Trek 3900
Trek 3900
9 years ago

There are a couple of other possibilities besides unjustified assault:

1) She may have been trying to make a turn or change lanes and the cyclist crossed her path.
2) Since this was the 2nd time the cyclist had assaulted her verbally about nearly hitting her, she may have been afraid of him and tried to knock him off his bike so he could get away from him – an act of self defense.

9watts
9watts
9 years ago
Reply to  Trek 3900

“she may have been afraid of him and tried to knock him off his bike so he could get away from him – an act of self defense.”

Orwellian fantasy?
Let’ not forget that we’re talking about two people, one one a bike and one in a car. The one on the bike seems to have been unquestionably knocked to the ground by the one in the car.
I’m trying to think of the last time I heard about someone in a car being injured/assaulted/intimidated/frightened by someone on a bike.

jim
jim
9 years ago

Does anyone know if he was in a bike lane the first time she turned and almost hit him?

jim
jim
9 years ago

The problem I see with his case is he moved into a traffic lane occupied by her car. The lawyer will argue that he came too close to her car.

GlowBoy
GlowBoy
9 years ago

She’ll probably say that she felt threatened and was acting out of self-defense. Even if she didn’t, her lawyer will tell her to say that. Bet she doesn’t get more than a couple of months.

wsbob
wsbob
9 years ago
Reply to  GlowBoy

The Oregonian snagged an interview with Groce. In it, he sounds honest. The O asked for an interview with Geday: “…She did not return a voicemail message seeking comment. …”.

More from the O story: “…Based on Groce’s account of events and statements from witnesses that the crash appeared to be an intentional act, police called out assault detectives to the scene, rather than traffic investigators. …”.

If the witness accounts verify that she deliberately drove her car into him, she’d better have a very good reason for having done that. Unless she was unable to drive away from him or close her car window to escape from him, for her to say she drove into him self defensively doesn’t sound likely to go well for her.

He says he saw her fingers on the phone, suggesting she was texting as he called out to her. In this day and age of electronics investigation, where if true, that kind of thing can be proven, that’s an ‘uh-oh’ for her.

wsbob
wsbob
9 years ago
Reply to  wsbob
Jen
Jen
9 years ago
Reply to  wsbob

I made the mistake of reading the comments on this link.
I’m amazed at how many people driving around encased in huge steel boxes capable of reaching speeds in excess of 40 mph feel threatened enough by people on bicycles to advocate running them over instead of just driving away. It’s almost as if the car and the bike serve to remove our respective humanity.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Jen

When you’re stuck in heavy traffic and a road-raging bicyclist is screaming at you, it’s not easy to “just drive away.” In this case, the road-raging bicyclist is a criminal with a personal violence background.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  wsbob

Sounds honest? Do a Google search.

wsbob
wsbob
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

You check your reading and comprehension skills. What I wrote was:

“The Oregonian snagged an interview with Groce. In it, he sounds honest. …”

What that means, is that to me, his comments about the incident to the O interview sound honest, and they may very well be honest. Efforts to find out who of the two parties involved in the incident, or those having witnessed the incident, are telling the truth, is why the police were called out.

As you managed to find out, Groce apparently has a police record. There’s no justice in simply assuming that because he’s got a criminal record of violent behavior, he must have behaved violently in this incident.

Robert Burchett
Robert Burchett
9 years ago

I suggest that if there were witnesses who would affirm that the person on the bike had deliberately ‘assaulted’ the person in the car by ramming the bike into the car, he would still be getting those free meals. Basically, DAs, like most police, are a bunch of people who drive cars. I’d be happy to hear about any exceptions, and yes I know about the cop who commutes on a fixie.

9watts
9watts
9 years ago
Reply to  Buzz

Why are we not surprised?

Extenuating circumstances could, of course, explain this.
But Wanda Cortese, as far as we know, never got punished for all but killing Christeen Osborn with her car either (unintentionally, we have to assume).

jim
jim
9 years ago

The guy has a quite violent record.
http://www.pdxmugshots.com/mug/brian-lee-groce-1

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago

Better do some research on your hero. Seems as if Brian Lee Groce ain’t quite the upstanding fella you think he is. Or maybe a couple of assault beefs, a parole violation, and a weapons charge are typical of Portland’s bicyclists.

CaptainKarma
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

I was gonna comment on this statement, but I think most readers already are thinking what I was going to say, so i’ll just go take out the recycling instead…

Skid
Skid
9 years ago

I don’t he “followed” her. It is quite possible that because of the speed of traffic downtown he ended up next to her for several blocks. It is fairly easy to keep up with and sometime go faster than the flow of auto traffic downtown. And even if he did “follow” her, it does not give her the right to serve into him, knock him over, and injure him.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Skid

She was probably terrified, and given his criminal record it would seem that she had good reason. Or maybe “Bike Portland” ought to be renamed “Bike Felon Portland?”

Psyfalcon
Psyfalcon
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

So how do you know someone’s criminal record from looking at them?

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago

So tell me, is this the typical Portland bicyclist? Is that why you’re so strongly on his side?

From “pdxmugshot.com” — search on “Groce” there.

4/6/10 — Disorderly conduct 2 (misdemeanor), Parole/supervision violation (felony)
7/14/11 — Assault II (felony)
10/19/11 — Attempted assault II, Unlawful use of a weapon (both felonies)
9/24/12 — Parole/supervision violation (felony)

Sigma
Sigma
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

What do you think, citizen? Do you think the “typical Portland bicyclist” has 4 felony convictions?

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Sigma

Beats me, but I notice everyone here is all in favor of the bicyclist, even though he’s got two felony assault beefs, a felony weapons beef, two parole violations, and a disorderly conduct charge. I’ll judge you by your friends.

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

pdxmugshot is notorious for containing exaggerated and false information. and the fact that you are willing to use an internet rumor-site to tar another person says something about your ethics.

Buzz
Buzz
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

so how come he wasn’t already locked up per measure 11? And did the PPB check to see if the bike he was riding was hot?

Duncan
Duncan
9 years ago

While agree a persons record should be taken into account when believing their account, if there are other witnesses who say she turned her car into him and hit him does he have a lesser right to live than someone who has not committed a crime?

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Duncan

It’s about who you people will believe and defend. As long as it’s a bicyclist, you will take the word of a repeat felon just because he’s a bicyclist. Gee, and then you wonder why you have such bad will among drivers?

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  Citizen

Citizen,

I really dislike the words you’re choosing in your comments. I don’t tolerate things like “you people.” I’ve deleted a lot of your comments already. Please watch your tone if you’d like to continue to participate. Thanks.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Duncan

As long as it’s a bicyclist, you’re on their side, even when it’s a criminal. Good job!

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Duncan

He didn’t lose his life. He’s a criminal who pursued a frightened woman down the street, and wound up getting banged up. And you are a typical Portland bicyclist who’s come down firmly on the side of some criminal just because he’s on a bike. And you wonder why your “community” has a bad image?!

Citizen,

Please stop using phrases like “typical Portland bicyclist.” Stuff like that does not allow for a productive dialogue. Thanks.

–Jonathan Maus, publisher of BikePortland

Skid
Skid
9 years ago

How would she know he is a convicted felon just looking at him?

Even if she did feel threatened (inside a steel box) it does not give her the right to ram him and knock him off his bike.

I don’t like this “once a criminal, always a criminal” attitude I am seeing here. He did his time. It does not make him a suspect forever.

And no I am not a reformed felon, my record is clean with the exception of minor traffic infractions and a dismissed trespassing charge.

was carless
was carless
9 years ago

I am 100% calling “Citizen” out for character assassination. What you are doing is despicable, and using social media websites to further your own agenda when the person is not able to defend themselves is the kind of tactic I would expect out of the CIA.

This person must feel incredibly smug that he/she can conduct anonymous internet Googling to pull up dirt on other people. Amazing. What a piece of work! Half of this thread is dominated by Citizen’s smear campaign, which adds almost nothing to the conversation beyond a footnote of “hey, priors.”

However, I guess in your fantasy land you think that running people over with a car is completely acceptable behavior. Unbelievable.

Jonathan, I call on your journalistic integrity to yank his comments as he is, IMO, pushing his/her own agenda by engaging in an attack campaign against this person, who most readers on this site likely don’t even know. I find this reprehensible and amoral.

I feel so strongly about this, that I will cease to read BP if this type of BS aggressive commenting by trolls or persons (bots?) with agenda like this continue.

Vance Lognwell
9 years ago

Wait, this MAN attacks a WOMAN, gets his, ahem, hat handed to him; and SHE goes to jail.

Thanks again for turning my hometown into a circus. Love ya’ll. byez

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Vance Lognwell

BINGO! And isn’t just wonderful to see so much of Bike Portland firmly on his side? And then they complain about their image?!

GlowBoy
GlowBoy
9 years ago

Hey “Citizen” (seriously?) at first glance it looks pretty outrageous to attack someone with a motor vehicle.

Now that we’re learning of this cyclist’s violent history and that he might have been harassing or threatening the driver it’s becoming less clear-cut. But not everyone who’s posted above had that information yet, and – justified or not – she did attack him with a deadly weapon. Your complaints against the BikePortland community for our initial reaction to what certainly appeared to be an aggravated deadly-weapon assault are unwarranted. Calm down.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  GlowBoy

Have no idea who “Rob A.” is, but somehow I doubt that’ll ease your paranoia.

GlowBoy
GlowBoy
9 years ago

Also, if it turns out he was indeed harassing her and completely overreacting to her driving behavior, I’m fine with the DA throwing the book at him for that.

But I hope the DA also at least investigates the texting allegation (easy enough to do) — and, if founded, throws the book at her for that too. IF the information as it appears this afternoon proves correct, maybe they can both end up with criminal charges.

Skid
Skid
9 years ago

Or maybe he was reacting to someone almost killing him with their car, and then what does she do? She tries to kill him with her car!

But that’s okay, because at some point in his life he was a criminal.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Skid

“At some point?” Try two felony assault beefs, a disorderly conduct beef, a weapons charge, and two felony parole violations — all since 2010. This is not some kumbaya kid who got in trouble a long time ago. This is a criminal on two wheels, and you are defending him for no reason other than he’s a bicyclist with a story you want to hear.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Skid

Yeah, a repeat felon tells a story, and because he was riding a bicycle you automatically believe him. Is that because so many other bicyclists are repeat violent felons?

Skid
Skid
9 years ago

So if he hadn’t been a convicted felon, would you be siding with him? Probably not, he is still a cyclist.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago
Reply to  Skid

If he didn’t have a history of violence, I’d still be asking why he pursued the woman down the street. But, given his background, which is highly relevant, the defenses and excuses I’m seeing in this thread are absurd and stereotypical of the Portland bicycling “community” and its arrogance.

Citizen
Citizen
9 years ago

FetaD
I hope you enjoy this city as much as I do. Have a good weekend.
Recommended 0

You too. I stay out of Portland as much as possible, just like a lot of people do. It’s why the vast majority of the new jobs get created in the suburbs, and why businesses in the city are struggling while ones outside the city are thriving. Between the homeless and the bicyclists, who wants to deal with Portland if they don’t have to?

Bill Walters
Bill Walters
9 years ago
Reply to  Citizen

And yet, somehow, you’ve been here dealing with (Bike)Portland all day.

Skid
Skid
9 years ago

Because, she almost killed him with his car. You’re right as motorist you should have the right to do that. After all they could be a convicted felon, and as a Citizen you are judge, jury, and executioner. Just smash into and run over cyclists any time you want. And then blame them for it.

rain panther
rain panther
9 years ago

Citizen, I’m genuinely disturbed and saddened by your apparent revelry in this incident. **sentence deleted by moderator** Personally, I don’t know what exactly happened out there on Jackson Street. My take is if the collision was accidental, then it boils down to recklessness or lack of judgment on someone’s part; if deliberate, then that would seem to warrant an assault charge. But I’m sure you’ll interprate my unwillingness to pass kneejerk judgment on this guy as rushing to his defense. I wonder how it’s possible that the irony and hypocrisy of calling everyone here out on their bias has escaped you, who are so obviously giddy to blame the bicycle rider. Like I said, sad.

pruss2ny
pruss2ny
9 years ago

felon or no, listened to his interview on the oregonian…sounds like she turned left and cut hit him off, he yelled at her, he began to continue thru the intersection, she honked and flipped the bird, and with that he turned and chased her down.

jim
jim
9 years ago

This guy was harassing the girl. He chased her for several blocks yelling at her. Road rage is a criminal offense. We’ll see if there are charges against him.

jim
jim
9 years ago

We will have to wait and see if there are charges filed against this guy for harassment. That is a criminal charge.

was carless
was carless
9 years ago

We need a moderator. this thread looks like an oregonian comments section.

Jen
Jen
9 years ago
Reply to  was carless

Except for one person bombarding the entire thread with multiple posts, the thread isn’t so bad. “Citizen” seems very intent on making certain the world understands that he has a chip in his shoulder against people who ride bikes. It would be nice if he were trying to contribute rationally to good conversation, but I’d hate to see the threads becoming too filtered.

I, appreciate the gentle (gentle being that I didn’t encounter this person on the street) reminder that there are people driving motor vehicles who really are convinced that once I am riding a bike I become an object of all their insecurities and rage. It’s easy to forget sometimes, when the community is so full of intelligent and healthy people. And I will ride just a little more aware for it.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  was carless

Hi was carless,

I agree. I’ve been cleaning things up by deleted comments by “citizen” and leaving notes and replies on others. Sorry for letting this thread get out of hand. I welcome people (like citizen) to express whatever perspective they have — but it must be done with care for the quality of the dialogue and respect for our community. That being said, please do not use these comments to personally insult anyone, regardless of their opinions. I will deal with inappropriate behavior and if you respond to it (not you personally, but in “you” in general) with equally inconsiderate comments you are just adding to the problem.

Thanks.

Trek 3900
Trek 3900
9 years ago

A couple of points:

IF, as he claims, she cut him off, then he would be justified in yelling “effin idiot” like he says he did. That should have been the end of it – he had not been hit at that point. People get cut off every time they drive – unfortunately it’s just part of driving in our country today – and it doesn’t matter if you are in an 18 wheeler or on a bicycle – you WILL get cut off.

Where he blew it (and invited his injuries) was to go another block and lay into her again. The fact that he made the decision to not let it go, and to follow her and engage her again, may speak to why he has a criminal record. He needs to learn that idiots exist and will offend you – go out of your way to avoid them.

The cyclist seems dangerous. If I were the woman, I’d take added precautions for my safety.

Mindful Cyclist
Mindful Cyclist
9 years ago

In reading Citizen’s comments, his anger and writing style sounds uncannily close to “itgoesbothways” that was commenting in this post: http://bikeportland.org/2014/01/06/transportation-activist-joe-rowe-looks-to-unseat-kotek-from-oregon-house-99489

He said it was the last time he was going to post on this site so he he had to change his handle.

rain panther
rain panther
9 years ago

Seems my comment didn’t make the cut. Reading all of the above, I hadn’t realized the bar was set so high. Or maybe I’m mistaken; maybe my post was just eaten up by Internet gremlins.

Adams Carroll (News Intern)

Thanks to everyone for the contributions to this thread. I’m closing the comments now because I feel there’s too much information about this case that is unknown at this time and it’s leading to unhelpful speculation. Stay tuned for an update on this story on Monday.