'Dangerous' bikers circle, appear to taunt lone NYPD officer in latest incident of harassment, disrespect toward police

In the latest instance of harassment and disrespect toward police, a video has surfaced showing a gang of bikers and ATV riders circling and appearing to taunt a lone New York City police officer at a Bronx gas station, WCBS-TV reported.

What happened?

Police told the station the Sunday afternoon incident occurred after the officer tried to approach the group for riding erratically. When one of the riders abandoned his dirt bike and the officer tried to take it into possession, the group began circling the officer and his patrol car.

At one point a rider tried to grab the yellow bike but ran off when the officer spotted him and pulled out his Taser, which police told WCBS the officer didn't use. The group then sped away, the station said.

Here's cellphone video of the incident. At one point, the officer yells at the riders wanting to take back the bike, "Come get it!"

What else?

Police said one of the bikers — Jonathan Bain, 20 — was arrested Sunday shortly after the incident and was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, disorderly conduct, and criminal possession of marijuana, the New York Post said.

But police are looking for the rest of them.

“The reckless driving of these dirt bikes is unacceptable," NYPD Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison told WCBS. "It's a public nuisance, and it's a danger to the community."

Manvinder Oberoi, the manager of gas station store, told the station that the bikers are regulars and not a problem and that they "left peacefully" when other officers arrived on the scene.

Image source: WCBS-TV video screenshot

But Jimmy Hernandez, who works in the area, told WCBS the bikers are indeed a problem.

“I think they're a menace. You got people riding around with bikes, no license, causing havoc riding around. I think it's kind of dangerous," he added to the station.

Louis Rosario asked WCBS, “Did they kill anybody? No. But can they have a little more respect for a figure of authority? We're gonna have to call when were in danger? Yes, they should have a little bit more respect."

He added: "If we're gonna say, 'They're just teenagers, they're regulars,' they're also just disrespectful and pretty stupid because even I'm not a police officer, and if you surround my car, just walking around my car a couple of people, I'd probably be worried thinking something is wrong with that, so that's pretty intimidating."

Rise of harassment against cops

NYPD officers have become targets of harassment and disrespect of late.

The station said a police vehicle was deliberately covered in trash in Brooklyn on Halloween, and that cops were taunted while trying to clean it off.

Image source: WCBS-TV video screenshot

In August, an NYPD sergeant was standing with other officers near the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park during a concert when a fist-sized piece of concrete smashed into a tree three feet from the cops, the New York Post reported, citing police sources. And earlier that day in the Bronx, five officers were injured when a 28-year-old man hurled bottles at police as they tried to break up a 2 a.m. party with about 100 people in attendance, the Post said, citing sources.

Of course, infamous videos hit social media in July showing people repeatedly dumping water on cops in the streets and chucking a bucket at an officer's head.