ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Police Department issued a warning after video was released showing a mob of e-bike riders downtown.
The footage shows that the incident happened on the afternoon of July 18, with large of riders passing through an intersection near East Colonial Drive and North Fern Creek Avenue.
People who live and spend time in downtown Orlando said the behavior was reckless and unnecessary.
“It’s foolery, foolery,” one resident said.
Another resident criticized the riders’ actions, saying, “That’s stupid, running around cars that’s stupid, running red lights that’s stupid.”
In a statement from OPD they say, “the Orlando Police Department responded to Downtown Orlando after receiving reports of a large group of juveniles operating electric and motorized bikes in a reckless manner.
Officers observed hundreds of riders running red lights, blocking intersections, impeding the flow of traffic, and interfering with emergency vehicles attempting to respond through the area. During the response, several juveniles were detained. Criminal citations were issued where appropriate, and multiple electric bikes were towed because they were not properly registered as required by law. The juveniles were released to their parents or guardians.
Because of the size and mobility of the group, not every rider was immediately apprehended. However, officers took enforcement action when it could be done safely."
Residents said groups of young people on e-bikes have become a familiar sight in parts of Orlando, with some acknowledging that while riding itself isn’t the problem, dangerous behavior on busy streets is.
“Yeah, sometimes they be doing their wheelies and stuff,” one resident said.
Another added, “It’s a few kids in my neighborhood and it’s all they do, it’s all they ride. I don’t really mind it — they’re not tearing up property, they’re just kids being kids.”
Still, even those who defended the riders said there are limits.
“Don’t try to get cool points,” one resident said. “What’s cool is being alive. Being dead is not cool.”
At one point during the incident, video appears to show the group preventing an ambulance from moving through traffic, raising additional concerns about public safety and emergency response.
Healthcare workers said they regularly treat injuries involving e-bike crashes and warned that reckless riding can have devastating consequences.
“We see a lot in the hospital — everything from head traumas to broken femurs to broken legs to pelvic bones,” one nurse said. “Cars can’t really see them when they’re on the side of the road, and they’re going just as fast.”
“Come out, have fun, and make good memories, but not like this,” OPD said in an previous release. “Reckless driving, running red lights, blocking traffic, and blocking an ambulance and other emergency vehicles from responding puts everyone at risk, including the drivers themselves. This type of dangerous behavior will not be tolerated.”
[View footage of the incident below]
The footage also shows body-camera video of officers making arrests, though no details were released about the identities of the suspects.
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