A bicyclist was knocked off his bike and beaten in Baltimore over the weekend, and the start of the attack was caught on his helmet-mounted camera.
Michael Bowman said he was riding on Guilford Avenue Saturday night when the group of strangers surrounded him and he couldn't pedal away.
"It's a long hill, and by the time you get to the top, you're tired and moving slowly," Bowman told the Baltimore Sun. "Easy prey."
The video shows the assailants approaching Bowman. In the description to the video posted on YouTube, he said someone threw a bottle. Several members of the group are seen throwing punches at Bowman before the battery is knocked out of the camera and recording stops.
Fortunately, Bowman's head was protected by his helmet.
"I never felt that all the advice to wear your helmet would come into play to protect me from punches," he told WMAR-TV.
Bowman suffered an injured thumb when someone stomped on it -- but if the attack has left him bitter, he's not showing it.
“I wish they had something to do maybe they could come out and join us,” Bowman said. “If they asked any of the cyclists if they want to come out on a bike ride they'd probably say yeah I'll help you get a bike, we'll do this.”
He said residents quickly came out of their homes and offered assistance when he called for help. The group of assailants dispersed when a siren sounded.
Baltimore police are looking for suspects.
(h/t Fugitive Watch)