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New York City officials are warning a group of masked dirt bike riders that arrests could be imminent after video captured a chaotic confrontation in which several riders surrounded and attacked a vehicle on a busy Staten Island street.
The crackdown follows a Wednesday incident on Richmond Avenue in Staten Island’s Bulls Head neighborhood, where video showed several masked riders swarming a white SUV stopped at a traffic light.
In the video obtained by Fox News Digital, several individuals appeared to kick and strike the vehicle, while another appeared to throw an object at it. As the driver attempted to leave, the SUV appeared to run over a dirt bike that had been positioned in front of the vehicle.
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A group of masked dirt bike riders surrounded a white SUV on Richmond Avenue in Staten Island, where several individuals appeared to kick and strike the vehicle. (Facebook/Staten Island Bad Parking & Driving)
During a news conference Thursday, NYPD Assistant Chief John Buttacavoli warned those involved that police were gathering intelligence and working to identify the suspects.
“We know who you are, and you will be getting a knock on your door very soon,” Buttacavoli said, emphasizing that the behavior had escalated from a quality-of-life concern into criminal activity.
“It stops here. We’re taking action,” he added.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon also condemned the riders, accusing them of intimidating motorists and putting innocent people at risk.
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“Like a plague of locusts, they descend upon drivers who are just going about their business here on Staten Island,” McMahon said. “They’re jackals, they’re teenage terrorists, and it’s not going to be tolerated here in our borough.”
McMahon called the behavior “simply outrageous,” adding that no one had been seriously injured, based on the information available to officials.
Wednesday’s incident was part of a broader pattern of dangerous behavior involving motorized bikes, according to Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella.
Fossella described the riders as a “bunch of punks who are literally terrorizing drivers” as motorists went about their daily routines.
“Enough. This game is over,” Fossella said.
The borough president also warned parents that their children were putting innocent motorists at risk.
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NYPD Assistant Chief John Buttacavoli warned that police were working to identify those involved in an incident where masked dirt bike riders swarmed a vehicle on Staten Island. (Staten Island District Attorney’s Office)
“Your kid is terrorizing innocent people when they’re just going about their business. It’s wrong, and it needs to stop,” Fossella said.
McMahon warned that parents could face legal or financial consequences if their children use illegal motorized vehicles to intimidate or injure others, including potential civil liability if someone is hurt.
“Parents also must take responsibility for their children,” McMahon’s office said in a separate statement.
Police have assembled a task force to address the problem and will continue confiscating illegally operated motorized bikes, according to Buttacavoli. He said officers had already identified several individuals and seized numerous bikes this year.
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Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, District Attorney Michael McMahon and NYPD Assistant Chief John Buttacavoli addressed a confrontation involving masked dirt bike riders and an SUV during a news conference. (Staten Island District Attorney’s Office)
The NYPD also reminded residents that certain motorized vehicles must be registered, insured and operated by licensed drivers.
State Assemblyman Mike Reilly, R-Staten Island, said he plans to introduce legislation in January that would hold parents financially responsible for minors caught recklessly operating certain motorized vehicles, according to the New York Post.
The proposal would impose fines ranging from $250 to $1,500, the paper reported.
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The incident remains under investigation, and no arrests have been announced.
