Anthony Brennan III Arrested In Maryland Park Assault, Bicyclist Faces Multiple Second-Degree Assault Charges
A man named Anthony Brennan III has been arrested in connection with the startling park incident that took place earlier this week in Maryland. A bicyclist was filmed as he assaulted several people who were posting Black Lives Matter flyers, and the police have now announced that they believe they have found the bicyclist responsible for the attack.
There had been a great deal of buzz over this incident since the video of the bicyclist attacking the group went viral. On Friday evening, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police shared information about the arrest.
In a Friday evening Twitter post, the Park Police thanked the public for helping them identify the suspect in this assault. They noted that they took Brennan into custody and they shared a press release with additional details.
The press release revealed that Brennan, 60, would be facing three counts of second-degree assault for the park incident that took place on June 1.
Around 12:45 p.m. on Monday, three young adults were on the Capital Crescent Trail. The two females and one male were putting up flyers when the bicyclist approached and started arguing with them.
We are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the below individual in reference to an assault that took place this morning on the Capital Creacent trail. Please contact Det. Lopez at 301-929-2774 with any information. Pease reference case number 20001297. pic.twitter.com/EtC9Q0xBOp
— Park Police MC (@ParkPolice) June 2, 2020
The suspect aggressively grabbed the flyers from one of the females and then returned to his bicycle. As he started to leave, he pushed his bike toward the male member of the group, causing him to fall down.
As soon as the video hit social media, people started digging to nail down his identity. Two different men’s names swirled around online at various points as the possible suspect. However, neither of them was the man arrested on Friday night.
In fact, police released a statement earlier in the day on Friday debunking reports that a former Montgomery County police officer had been identified as the bicyclist.
The Friday evening press release detailed some of what played out during the day that led to Brennan’s evening arrest. It noted that investigators utilized numerous sources to corroborate the information they’d received from the public before focusing on Brennan. So far, it doesn’t appear to have been revealed how the public came to focus on Brennan.
At some point on Friday, the police reached out to Brennan and his legal counsel. The police were given consent to search Brennan’s home and some items were seized. After that, an arrest warrant was issued and Brennan voluntarily turned himself in.
Now that Brennan has been identified and arrested, people who have been following the story will be eager to learn more about exactly what happened and how he was identified. Additional steps in the post-arrest process will likely play out during the week ahead, and more details should emerge soon.
