Two of the motorcyclists who were caught on video chasing down and attacking an an SUV driver on the West Side Highway in 2013 were sentenced to probation Wednesday.
Allen Edwards and Edwin Rodriguez each received five years of probation for their roles in the attack of Alexian Lien on Sept. 29, 2013. The two both pleaded guilty to felony assault and riot charges in exchange for the sentences in January and are among the first of the riders to take deals.
Several bikers were arrested after video showing the attack was posted online. The footage, captured by a helmet camera, shows a large group of bikers clustering around the Range Rover heading north. One of the bikers then moves into the SUV's lane and rides briefly alongside it, peering in through the driver's side window. It's unclear from the video what the driver might have done to anger the motorcyclist.
The biker then cuts in front of the Range Rover and, still staring at the driver, suddenly slows down. It isn't captured on the video, but the motorcycle and SUV bumped, police said.
The motorcyclists, 20 to 30 in all, then stop on the highway, blocking the SUV's path. Some dismount and approach the vehicle. Police said some of the bikers then began damaging the Range Rover.
The video shows the SUV suddenly accelerating, bouncing over at least one of the motorcycles and its rider, Edwin Mieses, as others scramble to get out of the way. The cyclists give chase, pursuing the driver for a few miles.
The chase ended when the SUV exited the highway and got stuck in traffic. The video shows one biker using his helmet to smash the driver's window. Police said the group then pulled the man from the SUV and beat him, although that part isn't shown on the recording posted online.
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Lien was taken to a hospital where he needed stitches for his face. His wife and 2-year-old were not injured.
Mieses, the biker run over by Lien, suffered two broken legs and spinal injuries that paralyzed him from the waist down. He has said he does not blame Lien for his injuries and that he cannot judge what may have been going through his mind during the highway confrontation.
Lien was not charged. Aside from a written statement released shortly after the attack, Lien and his family have not spoken publicly.
