Crime
Since November 2024, Attleboro police have received 143 reports of teens dangerously using e-bikes, police said.
Attleboro police announce a rise in dangerous e-bike activity after one teen was charged in connection to dangerous e-bike use, while his two friends were arrested for allegedly trying to steal it from police.
Since November 2024, Attleboro police have received 143 calls regarding juvenile e-bike riders operating in a “dangerous and reckless manner,” the department said in a press release. These include 27 calls in May alone, the department said.
“Most of this activity has been instances of reckless riding, such as playing ‘chicken’ with motorists, popping wheelies in opposing lanes, and riding in-and-out of traffic,” Attleboro police said
On Tuesday evening, an Attleboro police officer was patrolling Union Street when an e-bike rider allegedly began speeding towards the officer, police said.
“In order to avoid a head-on collision with the rider, the officer had to come to a complete stop in traffic,” police said in the release.
At the last minute, the biker dodged the cruiser, narrowly escaping a collision, police said.
“As the rider passed, it was obvious that he was holding a cell phone or similar recording device, video-recording this stunt,” police said.
The officer followed the e-bike until the rider came to a stop. The rider allegedly began to scream expletives at the officer in an apparent attempt to provoke a reaction and seemed to be trying to goad the officer into a pursuit, the department said.
Several officers were called for backup; one detective grabbed the rider’s arm to detain him, police said.
“The rider, in an attempt to escape, then tried to accelerate the e-bike from a complete stop. This effort failed, and as a result, the rider lost his balance and fell off the e-bike,” police said.
The rider was identified as a 16-year-old boy from Attleboro, police said.
The boy’s mother met officers on scene, where the teen was given a citation for vehicular offenses, Attleboro police said.
The teen is charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace, police said.
The boy was released to his mother and had his bike confiscated by police as part of evidence, Attleboro police said.
Wednesday night, an Attleboro detective noticed two people, dressed in all black, allegedly standing outside the Police Department’s storage unit, police said.
“[The storage unit] is used to house large items, such as bicycles and e-bikes when they are seized as evidence or otherwise come into the possession of the Attleboro Police Department, police said.
As the detective continued to watch, he determined one person was serving as a lookout, while the other was “poised on the fence,” the department said.
“After some time observing the two and overhearing statements made between the two, it was obvious that they were trying to break into the fenced in area,” police said.
Several police officers approached the two people, who fled on foot. Police ultimately arrested one of them, who was identified as a 17-year-old Attleboro resident, police said.
“Officers were able to locate the other suspect at his residence, after having been picked up by his father on Park Street at the intersection with Pine Street. The second suspect, a 16-year-old male Attleboro resident, was then placed under arrest as well,” police said.
It was determined that the two teens are “known associates” of the boy whose bike was taken the night prior, Attleboro police said.
“Based on information gathered to this point, it is believed that the two suspects were trying to break into the storage area in order to steal their associate’s e-bike,” police said.
Both were charged with an attempted breaking and entering in the nighttime and tampering with an object for use in an official procedure, police said.
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