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At Least Five More Cops Were Among Biker Gang That Attacked SUV
By Caroline Bankoff
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Yesterday, the New York Post reported that an off-duty undercover narcotics detective was among the group of motorcyclists that attacked a family as they drove their Range Rover up the West Side Highway last weekend. (He reportedly did not "[get] involved at the scene," though he also did not try to stop the assault.) Now, ABC News and DNAinfo report that at least five other off-duty members of the NYPD participated in the ride and witnessed some part of the confrontation, which began when 33-year-old Alexian Lien bumped one of the bikers with his SUV and ended with Lien being dragged from the car, beaten, and slashed in front of his wife and 2-year-old daughter after a high-speed chase.
According to DNAinfo's sources, the cops in question include another detective, a sergeant, and three regular officers. It's not clear if any of them played an active role in the assault, but all will likely face disciplinary action because they did not tell their supervisors they were present for the incident until Wednesday. An NYPD spokesman confirmed that internal affairs has launched an investigation, but would not comment further.
Meanwhile, two bikers who were filmed taking part in the melee turned themselves in on Friday. 35-year-old Robert Sims, who attempted to pull open the door of Lien's Range Rover, has been charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, among other things, according to the New York Daily News. 38-year-old Reggie Chance, who bashed the car's window with his helmet and yanked Lien onto the street, was questioned yesterday night and will probably be charged with something soon. The police are still working to identify more of the attackers.
And finally, high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred has gotten involved in the case. She is representing Edwin Mieses, the motorcyclist whom Lien ran over and possibly paralyzed as he fled the group. Allred and Mieses's wife, Dayana, claim that he was trying to "diffuse the situation" before he was hit. For now, they're not calling for charges against Lien, though they are still deciding on whether to sue him. Basically, this thing is a big, scary mess.
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