A cyclist who was caught on camera pulling a driver to the ground in an apparent act of road rage in downtown Toronto has been released on bail.
The incident happened in the intersection of York Street and Bremner Boulevard on July 4.
The victim of the assault, Brett New, previously told CTV News Toronto that he was trying to pass through the intersection on a green light when the cyclist rode off of the sidewalk and entered the roadway.
He said that he jammed on his brakes and honked his horn out of frustration, at which point the cyclist hopped off his bike and kicked his car. He said that after he got out of his vehicle, the cyclist struck him on the wrist with a U-shaped lock and then grabbed his collar and tackled him to the ground before riding off.
New posted a video, which captured part of the incident, to Reddit in the hopes that someone would be able to identify the suspect.
As a result of that video, the courier company that employed the cyclist terminated him over the weekend.
“My manager basically said, ‘Head straight to the police station and turn yourself in,’” QA Courier President Peter Hanson told CTV News Toronto over the weekend.
Police said that the suspect turned himself into officers at 14 Division on Sunday night.
Paolo Diluciano, 30, was charged with assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and mischief.
He appeared in a courtroom at Old City Hall on Monday morning wearing a T-shirt and shorts.
Diluciano was released on $1,000 bail and told the judge he “100 per cent” understood the conditions imposed on him.
