WASHINGTON D.C. (WAND) - Police arrested a man after a cyclist was caught on video gripping a young woman's arm as he ripped a racial justice sign out of her hand.
The incident ocurred at Capital Crescent Trail in Washington D.C.
One of the other two young people told NBC affiliate News 4's Pat Collins, the cyclist hit him with his bike before pinning him to the gorund.
Anthony Brennan III, 60, of Kensington is charged with three counts of second-degree assault.
Police said they received hundreds of tips to help determine Brennan as the suspect.
Police contacted Brennan and his lawyers Friday. They got consent to search his home. Brennan voluntarily surrendered to detectives that night.
Several men said internet users trying to identify the suspect falsely accused them, tarnishing their reputations online.
A former Montgomery County Police Department employee was falsely accused, the department said in a tweet. A local marketing director also faced a false accusation, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said.
"Reports circulating on social media referencing a former MCPD employee as being the suspect in the Capital Crescent trail assault are false. Additional information is forthcoming from the Maryland National Capital Park Police who are heading the investigation."
The video shows the cyclist with a flyer in his hand, confronting a woman. She puts her hand up to drive him away and shouts “Get away from me.”
Then, he turns to a second woman.
“Do not touch her! Do not touch her, sir,” the first woman screamed. She comes to the second woman’s defense and pushes the cyclist away.
“Get off of her,” she screams, pointing her finger in his face.
Then, the cyclist walks away and grabs his bike. That’s when the man says the cyclist turned to him.
The video shows the cyclist rushing toward the man. Then the camera drops.
