'You Are Without Light!' —Cops Shatter an Innocent Man's Leg in Search of a Missing Bicycle Light

Police officers have the authority and will detain and extort you in the land of the free for poor bicycle illumination. If you attempt to flee this extortion, you risk being run over by a police car, attacked by a police K9, or, as shown by the following event, hospitalised with a fractured leg.

Derrick Roundtree had done no wrong, committed no crime, and was only riding his bicycle home from a neighbouring convenience shop on the night he was assaulted by police and hospitalised. Roundtree proceeded to his friend's residence in the Tidewater Gardens public housing development after leaving the business.

Roundtree rode his bicycle home on Christmas Eve 2018, passing a Norfolk police officer in the route. As Roundtree rode past, that cop, Aaron Christie, quickly flashed his lights and yelled something inaudible over the loudspeaker.

Roundtree, riding his bicycle, was convinced that the cop was pursuing someone else, and so he kept riding slowly back to his friend's home.

Christie launched a chase and drove after Roundtree, clearly having nothing better to do on Christmas Eve than assault and arrest people over bicycle lights. The encounter was caught on body camera video and has resulted in a $1.5 million lawsuit.

Officer Christie leaps from the cruiser, as seen by body camera video, and starts sprinting towards Roundtree, who makes no effort to escape. Roundtree is gently pedalling down the sidewalk as Christie closes up behind him, never identifying himself as a police officer and simply yelling "stop" once before ramming the innocent guy into the pavement.

Roundtree's leg was broken in many places during the fall, and while he writhed in pain on the ground, this innocent 43-year-old on his way to a friend's home attempted to piece together why he had just been assaulted by police.

"How come you're doing that to me, bro?" Rountree inquires. "I ain't a jackass."

"You (on your bicycle) have no light," Christie says. "We tried to dissuade you. You attempted to flee."

"Are you serious?" Rountree inquires, completely taken aback. "Are you serious, sir?" I was unaware that a bicycle required a light."

Roundtree, who is in severe agony and obvious shock after the incident, is still taken aback that he was attacked for not having a light on his bicycle. Following the encounter, police charged Roundtree with a headlight violation and obstruction, stating he attempted to leave.

In a deposition earlier this year, a Christie attorney questioned Roundtree about why he did not stop when the cruiser he was passing flashed its lights and shouted over the loudspeaker.

"Because I'm riding a bike," Rountree said. "What would cause him to halt me?"

According to the Virginian Pilot, the complaint, filed in December 2020 in United States District Court in Norfolk, claims Rountree's actions on the video demonstrate he presented no danger to anybody and was riding too slowly for police to say he was escaping from them.

Due to the fact that authorities were unable to establish that Roundtree was fleeing, the obstruction allegation was ultimately withdrawn. Roundtree would spend days in the hospital with several fractures to his right tibia and fibula bones – all for a $15 cycling light ticket.

The department then conducted its own investigation and determined that they had committed no wrongdoing, and Christie was reinstated to regular duty. Roundtree's case is slated for trial in March, but he will be unable to attend.

He was an innocent spectator near a grocery shop earlier this year when a drive-by gunshot occurred. He was murdered by a stray gunshot, and since authorities seem to be more concerned with capturing those without adequate bicycle lights than with apprehending murderers, Roundtree's perpetrator remains at large.

Link to the video:https://rumble.com/embed/voi212/?pub=4