Police in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, appeared powerless to stop a group of domestic terrorists from attacking them personally. An episode caught on video underscores the violence as bricks and bottles were thrown at cops, before the brazen suspects vanished into the night.
Police under attack on all sides
According to Philadelphia police, a group of violent ATV drivers were encouraged by rumors that cops in the city aren’t allowed to enforce the law. Authorities claim that isn’t true but nobody did much to enforce any laws either.
The group of anarchists “unleashed its assault on police just one day after a Republican city councilman accused the administration of Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, of instructing officers ‘not to enforce the law,‘” Fox News reports.
On Tuesday, October 18, the Philadelphia Police Department posted a disturbing video. It shows “a large group of people riding dirt bikes and ATV’s” around a gas station near Delaware Avenue and Spring Garden Street.
Wanted: Suspect for Assault on Police in the 6th District [VIDEO] https://t.co/MQLOK32Kva pic.twitter.com/9Ug8BiOKbf
— Philadelphia Police Department (@PhillyPolice) October 18, 2022
One “dirt bike rider initially crashed a vehicle near the gas pumps and ran off.” After the riot, they “determined the bike had been reported stolen from New Jersey.” The situation, officers say, “then devolved further.”
“As officers attempted to secure the stolen dirt bike the crowd began to circle the officers while throwing bricks, bottles and other objects at them.” Their ride was a big red target. “One marked police vehicle was kicked repeatedly and had its windshield broken with brick before the group fled the area.”
Fox notes “video footage shows the chaos unfolding – with one ATV driver doing donuts near the gas pumps as a dirt bike rider approaches and hurls an object at a police vehicle.” They have bodycam footage from another angle and “sirens can be heard in the background.”
This has to stop
Part of the reason the ATV gang felt so confidant was because word on the street declared the police impotent and unable to do anything. On Monday, Philadelphia City Councilman At-Large David Oh responded to a different video showing hordes of dirt-bike and ATV riders, and wrote: “This has to stop.” He also added that police “are instructed by the Mayor’s Administration not to enforce the law.”
Because nobody wants to actually prosecute crimes in the city, it “resulted in this escalating problem of reckless driving, no insurance, intentional disregard for public safety, likely possession of illegal firearms & potential violence.” Tuesday night the potential violence became actual violence.
A spokesunit for the city declared that Councilman Oh was mistaken. He called Oh’s statement about police just standing around watching ATC’s do donuts “simply untrue” and said the office welcomed Oh’s suggestions “on concrete ideas to address this behavior.”
City of Brotherly Love at one time 😳….
Philadelphia police attacked by ATV, dirt-bike riders who hurled bricks and bottles at officershttps://t.co/TPee1EXwM8
— AvaArmstrong, 🇺🇸Author (@MsAvaArmstrong) October 18, 2022
Cracking down on rowdy ATV riders in city limits would be a good start. “The safety of pedestrians and motorists is paramount, and our Administration takes this issue very seriously. Dirt bikes and ATVs are illegal to operate on city streets,” the spokesperson admits.
“Operators can be ticketed, and vehicles confiscated. Police have been successful in confiscating hundreds of dirt bikes, ATVs, and scooters as part of their efforts to cut down on this illegal activity and will continue to do so.”
While they may have good intentions, nobody can deny that “dozens of dirt bikes, quads and ATVs rolled down North Broad Street Saturday afternoon in the shadow of police headquarters.” Not only that, “This past weekend, Center City and other neighborhoods were inundated with vehicles that police claim often aren’t street-legal.” There was “shooting Saturday night at 7th and South Streets involved an ATV rider, who fired on a security guard.“
