Photo by M.V. Jantzen

This week a 62-year-old D.C. man was found guilty of assaulting a cyclist with his SUV, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ron Machen’s office:

According to the government’s evidence, on July 27, 2010, at about 4:30 p.m., [Thomas] Dunkel was driving a Toyota sport utility vehicle in the 100 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW, near Union Station, when he encountered a 22-year-old man driving a bicycle in the middle of the road.

Dunkel began to honk and yell at the cyclist to move off the roadway. He then used his SUV to assault the cyclist, ultimately striking the victim with the vehicle. Dunkel and the cyclist then exchanged words and punches at the driver’s side window of the defendant’s SUV.

Afterward, the victim picked up his bicycle and moved out of traffic toward the sidewalk. Dunkel, meanwhile, exited the SUV – leaving it in the center lane of Massachusetts Avenue. He then followed the cyclist. He took the bicycle away, lifted it above his head, and threw it at the cyclist. Dunkel then knocked the cyclist to the ground and assaulted him with his fists until a bystander intervened. After this attack, Dunkel left the scene in his SUV.

Dunkel was found guilty for a number of felony charges, including charges of assault with significant bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon (car), assault with a dangerous weapon (bike). He will be sentenced in September.