Driver accused of trying to run bicyclist off the road in Glendale pleads not guilty
A Glendale driver pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he tried to run off the road a bicyclist who he later accused of striking his car, officials said.
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Dennis Reed, 69, was charged last month with one misdemeanor count each of assault with a deadly weapon, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and false report of a criminal offense, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
The charges stem from a Jan. 18 incident caught on video, which shows a black Audi swerving toward a cyclist riding next to it on Chevy Chase Drive in Glendale.
A second cyclist, who was taking the video, had to brake suddenly to avoid a crash, officials said.
A couple of hours after the incident, Reed filed an online police report with the Glendale Police Department for vandalism, alleging that the cyclist was “aggressive” and hit his car, according to the district attorney’s office.
In an interview after the incident, Reed told NBC 4 that he tried to slow down and “get away from” the cyclist who was assaulting him.
If convicted, Reed faces up to a year and a half in Los Angeles County jail.
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Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com
Twitter: @atchek
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