A Philly dirt bike rider is accused of violently attacking a motorist on Broad Street
In the wake of Tuesday’s incident, Broad Street residents again emailed the police commissioner and Mayor Jim Kenney, decrying the safety hazards and noisiness of ATVs and dirt bikes.
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A 27-year-old Tacony man who was illegally riding a dirt bike on South Broad Street this week and violently attacked an SUV driver has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault, illegal gun possession, ATV violations, and other offenses, authorities said Friday.
In an assault captured on video and spread on social media, Gregory Stevens was with a larger group of ATV riders traveling north on Broad Street near Washington Avenue on Tuesday evening when he abruptly braked and an SUV struck his bike from behind.
Stevens fell to the ground, authorities said, and when the 25-year-old SUV driver got out of his vehicle to see if the rider was OK, Stevens repeatedly punched him. The SUV driver got back into his vehicle and locked his doors, but Stevens threw bricks and cinder blocks at the SUV, breaking its windows, while other riders in the group threw garbage at the SUV, police said.
At one point, Stevens allegedly retrieved a gun and walked toward the SUV, but someone told him to stop. He and the other riders then left, authorities said. The victim suffered minor injuries from the assault and from the broken glass, police said.
With the warmer weather, illegal dirt bike and ATV riders have been seen more frequently on city streets, causing residents to complain to officials about the perennial problem. In the wake of Tuesday’s incident, Broad Street residents John Murphy and Tom Ayers on Friday again emailed Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw and Mayor Jim Kenney, decrying the safety hazards and noisiness of ATVs and dirt bikes.
» READ MORE: » READ MORE:As City Council hears of ATV safety concerns, some call for an ATV park
Stevens was also arrested and charged this week with a Feb. 22 armed robbery at a pharmacy on the 3900 block of Kensington Avenue. On that day, he allegedly brandished a firearm while demanding “Oxys” from a pharmacist, the District Attorney’s Office said. During a struggle, he allegedly shot and injured the pharmacist in the chest, authorities said. He also allegedly pointed his gun at the pharmacist’s head before fleeing the store.
On parole for a past robbery conviction, Stevens is prohibited from carrying a firearm. A spokesperson for the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which is representing Stevens in the pharmacist’s shooting, declined to comment on the case Friday. It’s unclear if the Defender Association is also representing him in the Broad Street incident.